Hon. Esther Murugi Mathenge's Speech at the Opening of the Aquaculture Fish Workshop Held on 22nd February, 2010 in Nairobi
Hon. Esther Murugi Mathenge (MP) in cream outfit, poses for a photo session with: From left: Susan Kaaria (Programme Officer-Ford Foundation, Mr.Mwangi Githaiga (Managing Director-KWFT DTM), Hon.Esther Murugi Mathenge (Centre), Dr. Willy Mutunga (Resident Representative-Ford Foundation), Dr.Jeniffer Riria (Chief Executive Officer-KWFT) and other participants after she opened the Aquaculture Stakeholders' Workshop hosted b KWFT at Methodist Guest House – Nairobi on Monday, 22nd February 2010.
I am pleased to be with you here today to open this Stakeholders' workshop which is expected to facilitate sharing of information, create linkages and visualize possible synergies that provide economies of scale in delivering community based interventions.
I am informed that the workshop will be guided by a study carried out by KENYA WOMEN FINANCE TRUST over a period covering October to December 2009. This is encouraging since it is always important to design community based interventions that utilize economies of scale. In doing this however, we must involve all stakeholders working in the same communities. This is one way of ensuring that women in Kenya connect and keep connected on issues that affect them and their families.
Ladies and Gentlemen
The Government of Kenya is committed to affirmative action to help women and the girl child in areas of health, education and building capacity to improve livelihoods. The Government therefore, appreciates help from partners like the Ford Foundation, in the development and implementation of interventions that address gender issues that impact negatively on development and in particular women's empowerment.
At the same time, I would like to commend KENYA WOMEN FINANCE TRUST for its good work in accessing financial and non-financial services for women entrepreneurs in Kenya. I am impressed to note that their activities touch as many as 500,000 homes and the economic impact of this is definitely being felt at the family level as well as the national level.
My appreciation goes especially to THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF KENYA WOMEN FINANCE TRUST - DR JENNIFER RIRIA who has championed the course for women empowerment of business for women in Kenya and elsewhere for a long time. We have seen what committed leadership and teams can achieve: - that is NATIONAL WIDE SUSTAINABLE PROGRAMME.
I would like to advice the participants to make full of this one day workshop to learn as much as they can from each other and work out ways of building economies of scale through collaborations. Market and market linkages should be seriously thought about and economies of scale agreed upon. My Ministry will continue to support and promote interventions and welfare of women by providing access to credit through the women enterprise fund as part of this new perspective to improving rural livelihood.
As we are all aware, aquaculture is spreading fast throughout the country and can no longer be looked at as an activity only at the coast ad around the lake region. We therefore do not want a situation where women and girls will be left out as it happens when any initiative begins to generate substantial incomes. We must think of strategies not only to involve women and girls but approaches that will ensure the control of resources generated and give them a voice as human beings.
To Women and Girls - I Have This Final Challenge for You:-
Aquaculture through utilization of ponds is an activity at which women can do as well if not better than men for it gives them time to continue with their normal daily chores. Aquaculture will therefore provide opportunities to diversify both on the knowledge level as well as on product development. |
