{"id":36184,"date":"2017-12-21T10:45:01","date_gmt":"2017-12-21T15:45:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/?p=36184"},"modified":"2017-12-23T14:40:50","modified_gmt":"2017-12-23T19:40:50","slug":"kenyan-women-earn-graduate-certificates-peacebuilding-leadership","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2017\/kenyan-women-earn-graduate-certificates-peacebuilding-leadership\/","title":{"rendered":"Kenyan women earn graduate certificates in peacebuilding leadership"},"content":{"rendered":"

Violet Muthiga has seen the impact of extremist activities on women in Kenya\u2019s recent history, including in the marginalization of mothers whose children had been arrested on charges of suspected radicalization, vetted and later released. Because the police were suspicious of them and their communities were scared, the women kept to themselves.<\/span><\/p>\n

Muthiga spoke of her trauma counseling and reintegration work during an early December graduation ceremony in Nairobi. She was among eight women to earn graduate certificates in peacebuilding leadership from the <\/span>Women\u2019s Peacebuilding Leadership Program<\/span><\/a> (WPLP) of Eastern Mennonite University\u2019s <\/span>Center for Justice and Peacebuilding<\/span><\/a> (CJP).<\/span><\/p>\n

Muthiga is CEO of Mombasa-based Sauti Ya Wanawake Pwani, a local women\u2019s organization that works in six coastal counties. She conducts trauma counseling for mothers of radicalized youth and reintegration programs for de-radicalized youth, among other activities, and said she is \u201clucky\u201d to have had the opportunity to bolster her skills through WPLP.<\/span><\/p>\n

Other graduates in the ceremony expressed similar appreciation for new skills related to conflict analysis, restorative justice and trauma resilience, said CJP executive director <\/span>Daryl Byler<\/span><\/a>. \u201cWPLP built their level of self confidence, helped them understand who they are, and develop as leaders.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Affirmation also came from Samson Sorobit, who said that through the strength of the people in WPLP, \u201cwe\u2019ve seen change happen.\u201d Sorobit spoke on behalf of local partner <\/span>Daima Initiatives for Peace and Development<\/span><\/a>, which supports peacebuilding, development and social change initiatives in the region.<\/span><\/p>\n

Rachel Mutai, another graduate, said that she had been promised that WPLP would be \u201ca journey of learning and relearning,\u201d and that proved true. \u201cThere are things I thought I knew that I didn\u2019t know, and there are things that once I tested in the field, I realized I needed to be learning again, and do something different.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Mutai is the curriculum development coordinator at African Leadership and Reconciliation Ministries. She coordinates the development of and training for peacebuilding and leadership curriculum, and has conducted trauma healing programming for women, led youth leadership development activities, and been involved in a domestic violence counseling ministry.<\/span><\/p>\n

The program offered a \u201cvery relevant\u201d balance of theory and practice that gave the group confidence and is \u201cvery apropos in the field\u201d for them as women who are making a difference, Mutai said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Funding for WPLP is primarily provided through USAID Kenya and East Africa and by international development organizations that administer USAID grants.<\/span><\/p>\n

The fourth cohort included:<\/span><\/p>\n