Ladies of Liberty Alliance – Kenya
Meet the incredible women spreading liberty in the country of Kenya!
About LOLA – Kenya
The Republic of Kenya is located in Eastern Africa alongside the Indian Ocean. Agriculture is vital to Kenya’s economy, especially tea, coffee, and flowers. The country has a population of over 48 million spread out over 248 thousand square miles. Unfortunately, due to the historical patriarchal nature of Kenyan society, women’s involvement in the social, political, and economic processes is limited. The Ladies of Liberty Alliance chapter in Kenya was started by Joyce Mbogo and Winfred Nduati with the hope of bringing more women into the African Liberty Movement. Members of LOLA Kenya like to advocate against gender-based violence, a prevalent issue in Kenya.
The Beginning
For LOLA – Kenya’s first event, ladies gathered in Nairobi, the capital and largest city in Kenya to share their “How I found Liberty” stories. The meeting was a success and a packed house gathered to learn more about LOLA and get to know each other better. While they shared their stories of finding libertarianism, ladies also learned about LOLA’s mission to educate and empower female Ladies of Liberty, discussed ways to best reach their community, and plan events. The event was a great way to network and meet like-minded women.
Chapter members gathered at the LOLA Kenya launch in November 2018.
LOLA Kenya Events
The Kenyan Ladies of Liberty Alliance like to focus their events on issues that are relevant to where they live. Previous events they’ve hosted focused on bringing attention to and ending Gender-Based Violence, evaluating women leadership in a libertarian context, and attending local mingling events. They also hosted a co-ed discussion on poverty in Africa, and how it impacts Kenyan women, specifically. Since their first event in November 2018, LOLA Kenya has grown to 50 women!
‘Evaluating Women Leadership in a Libertarian Context’ event with Director of African Programs -Students for Liberty, Linda Kavuka.
Poverty Discussion with LOLA Kenya
LOLA Kenya hosted a screening and subsequent discussion about the documentary entitled “Poverty Inc.” This documentary tackled several important questions including how to effectively fight poverty in Kenya and beyond. It touched on subjects like tax loopholes, jobs, geopolitics, property rights, gender issues, and rule of law. The documentary investigates the hidden edge of doing good ranging from disaster relief to TOMs Shoes, adoptions to agricultural subsidies, and goes on to trail the butterfly effect of these most well-intentioned efforts. Poverty Inc. pulls back the curtain on the poverty industrial complex- the multi-billion-dollar market of NGOs, multilateral agencies, and for-profit aid contractors. Throughout the discussion, they shared their ideas on restoring power in the hands of the everyday typical people, ending the stereotype of “the poor African”, and focusing on building fundamental institutions such as education, property rights, rule of law and freedom.
What’s Next?
The LOLA Kenya chapter is under the direction of two talented, liberty-loving women, Joyce Mbogo and Winfred Nduati. Chapter leaders are currently planning a Mental Health Caravan for their next event, designed to address the alarming number of college students committing suicide in local Kenyan Universities. The Mental Health Caravan will target students in 6 universities throughout Kenya.
Group discussion on Poverty in Africa.
Being a [LOLA] chapter leader is both rewarding and satisfying. The ideas of liberty are close to my heart, and it is always my wish and hope to see more women actively engage in the liberty movement… As it is well known, an African woman is confined to certain cultural norms and beliefs which determine what a woman can say, how a woman should dress, where a woman can go, how a woman should live, just to mention a few. As LOLA – Kenya, we are building a platform and building an environment where young women are free to express themselves politically, socially, economically, and culturally.
– Joyce Mbogo, LOLA Kenya President
Thanks to your generous support, we are able to empower Ladies of Liberty in 19 countries and counting! From all of us at the Ladies of Liberty Alliance, thank you!