Women from the Gusii Community have been challenged to take advantage of the newly-established Affirmative Action Development Fund to empower themselves economically.
Kisii County women representative Ms Mary Otara has tipped local women on the need to form and register self-help groups through which they will be funded by the Affirmative Action Development Fund. This way they will initiate income generating activities such as table banking to transform their lives and those of their immediate families.
Speaking at Etureti DOK Primary School, Riana Ward in Bonchari sub-County during the launch of an anti-jiggers campaign in the area, Otara encouraged women in the area to mobilise themselves into groups to enhance their chances of benefiting from the Sh63 million to be channelled to the county.
"I am announcing to you that after a long struggle in search of a kitty through which women representatives can run to take development to the grassroots, finally the National Assembly has established the Affirmative Action Development Fund to be run by County MPs to address socio-economic challenges facing women, youth and other vulnerable groups in their counties," said Otara.
Otara clarified that the funds have already been approved by Parliament in the current financial year and soon money will be channelled to the counties. She challenged women in the area to be prepared to benefit from the kitty.
She said only women and youth with registered groups running activities will be given priority as beneficiaries from the kitty since it targets active registered groups and not individuals.