Samburu Women Trust is an indigenous women-led organisation, registered as a Trust and non-profit and non-political institution in Kenya whose mission is to champion the rights of women and girls among pastoralists’ communities in Kenya. The organisation recognises that such challenges affect all women in the country, however the exclusion and human rights violations among indigenous communities in Kenya is even more pertinent. It is among these communities that the traditional role of women and girls in society is at lower strata when compared with men. This must be urgently addressed. The deep-rooted retrogressive cultural practices like early forced marriages, female genital mutilation, girl child beading, and spousal beatings are routinely carried out, despite recent constitutional, administrative, policy and legislative advancement for the promotion and protection of the rights of women and girls in Kenya.

Samburu Women Trust (SWT) is an indigenous women-led organisation whose mission is to champion the rights of women and girls among the pastoralists’ communities in Kenya. The organisation is concerned with addressing deep-rooted retrogressive cultural practices like early forced marriages, female genital mutilation, girl child beading, and spousal beatings which are routinely carried out, despite recent constitutional, administrative, policy and legislative advancement for the promotion and protection of the rights of women and girls in Kenya. Two key studies conducted in 2012 - A silent sacrifice - and a follow up in 2015 - The Unspoken vice in Samburu Community - provides concrete recommendation on how to address these challenges in which the proposed project is based upon.

The Usawa Dada project targets three counties where these practices are most predominant, namely Isiolo, Samburu, and Marsabit.  The project expects that community perceptions change by encouraging more female participation in decision-making and eliminating practices that harm women and at the same time enhances the capacity of women to take up leadership positions in society. SWT’s work is informed by first hand experiences of the founders and lived experiences of fellow women and girls among the Samburu community.

The founders felt personally challenged to do something to bring to an end institutionalised violation of rights of women and girls among their pastoralist communities. The organisation positions itself as the champion of human rights for women and girls, facilitator for the amplification of the voices of women and girls, and supporter of victims and survivors of retrogressive cultural practices.