Profiles of the Ladies of ERIPARE
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CATHERINE SANA SALAU
Most of the profiles have been written by Catherine Sana Salau, who serves as our liaison, quality controller, and Kenyan coordinator for Eripare.
Without Catherine, we would face challenges in sourcing and retaining top talent. It was Catherine's creation of watchstraps for Tracey's father-in-law that sparked the idea of how we could assist other mothers, leading to the establishment of Eripare. You'll observe that many mothers received no formal education, a cycle we are committed to breaking to afford girls a future distinct from their mothers'. Additionally, it is not uncommon to find Maasai men with multiple wives. Some of our 30 ladies were married very young from 13 years upwards and have multiple children. Education on many subjects will help these ladies thrive.
If you're in Kenya and interested in beadwork, Sana is your go-to contact.
Meet MERCY OLORINYU KOSENCHA, mother to two children sponsored by Tracey and her husband Steven. Born into the Kalijan tribe, one of Kenya's large ethnic groups, she is the second wife of a Maasai man, Olorinyu Kosencha, also known as Joshua. Now in his 70s and unemployed, Joshua's first wife passed away, leading him to marry Mercy. Together, they have five children and speak no English.
With Joshua unwell and unable to work, the family depends on financial support from friends and relatives, and Mercy earns a modest income by assisting other families with various tasks. Although she crafts beadwork, the absence of tourists has made it difficult to sell her creations, and they struggle with poverty. Previously, they owned goats, but lost them during a severe drought, which was their sole source of sustenance and income. Now, they raise chickens.
The family resides in two compact tin huts near the school, lacking water, sanitation, electricity, and with only bare soil floors and a central fire for warmth.
In the accompanying photo, Mercy is pictured with her family, cradling her youngest child, (now 3) Hilda.
Mercy is grateful for the opportunity to generate income through her beadwork for you and hopes it will be treasured.
This is JERUSHA NAMELOK SIYIOMET.
She is stepmother to Letitat at our school She is married as a second wife to Peter Nkai, after dropping out of school.She is doing bead work and she is good in making bracelets.
This is MAGGI MUTEKI
She is a mother of 5,
She is from a very poor family.
She did go to school up to grade 6 and then dropped out to get married to Isaiah Muteki.
She is a happy mother and she makes beadwork for a living,
This is LYDIA SIMALOI .
She is a first wife to Kingirri Mpaira, She is 49 years old
She is good at bead work. She lives very close to the school.
She is holding her co wife's Fridah's daughter.
This is ESTHER MASAI LINDI KOPIRATO,
She is a mother of four.
She is from a poor family no goats no cows. She is a very hard working mother, very good in making cuff bracelets infact the best in the group and key holders. She is 39 years old, she went to school to class eight. She didn't continue her education after class eight. After under going FGM she was married.
This is FRIDAH SINANTEI,
She is the second wife to Kingirri Mpaira
She is a mother of 2 and co wife to Lydia Simaloi.
They both live very close to our school but have separate huts.
All co wives will have a separate hut
This is REBECCA SILANTOI, married 2016 she is a mother of 3, mother Ephantus parantai grade 3. She is 36 years old,she went to school to form four but didn't continue due luck of school fee. She was married at the age of 22. Her marriage was not arranged as she was raised by her mother so no one to dictate whom she married,
She is a mother of three ,two girls and one boy.
This is EUNICE NANDI MOINTI.
She is a young 25 year old mother of 3 children
She went to school to year 7 She was married at age 15.
She makes beadwork for a living but there are no tourists about to sell it.
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This is SUSAN SIYIOMIT
Susan is a single mother not yet married.
She dropped out of school at class seven and after having her baby she did not go back to school.
Her father is Peter Nkais from his 1st wife Jerusha also here is her stepmother
She is a hard working young mother, and very good making bracelets..
This is ELIZABETH NANEU SHAPARA
She is a second wife to Shapara Kaiseyie.
She is a mother of 6 children.
She is not educated .
She does beadwork for a living and supports her family.
This is ESTHER NTATI MURERO.
She is a mother of 5 children.
She was married off very young at 15 and she didn't go to school.
She is doing bead work for a living
Two of her children are sponsored pupils at our school Siaro and Kishoyian..
This is TERISIA TORINKE
She is 45 years old. She didn't go to school at all . She was married at the age of 16, she is in polygamous family so she is forced to do odd jobs apart from Beadworks to look after her children. She is a mother of 8 four girls and four boys.
She is a second wife to William Torinke .
He has three wives with many children.
She has children in college, highschool and primary school.
This is NAOMI TUMANKA NADUPOI.
She is a mother of 2 children.
She too, did not go to school and was married at a young age.
She does beadwork for a living but has no one to sell it too.
This is Regina Wuala she is currently a teacher at Osiligi Charity Foundation married to Alex as a second wife,having 2 kids of her own and 4 step children from Alex. During leisure time, weekend and holidays she likes reading novels, doing beadwork and small businesses here and there, she is outgoing
She is a second wife to Alex Kuntai Wuala,
She is a step mother to Brian kipelian and Jeremiah letewuan both at our school and she is mother to Jason Metiaki. Regina teaches our youngest class in the school and speaks very good English.
This is JANE YONKAI
She is 29 years old. She didn't go to school,she was married off at the age of 14. She is a mother of 3 children.
One is in our school Jonathan Sankare
She has never been to school. She is a very hard working young mother and is good at making belts and keyholders. Jane is outside her home made of mud and sticks with plastic sheets on the roof held down with rocks
This is PAULINE YIAMBAINE
She is sister to Catherine and is very good at making different types of beadwork. She is training the mothers on new items when new orders come in. She is used by many ladies to make samples for their beadwork to show potential clients. She is married with 3 children and this is her way of making an income. Her English is very good although she says she cannot understand or write she can!
This is HELLEN KEREYA
Hellen is a mother of 6 children. She has never been to school.
One of her daughters Dorcas is in our school. The difference in the picture is the first picture was taken just after she had given birth.
This is HANNAH SIANTO RANKEI
Ann is 48 yrs old she under went FGM at the age of 11 and married off at the age of 12, she is the youngest to be married.
She is a mother of 7 she didn't go to school at all she said her father didn't believe girls can go to school.
She is a mother of 6 and grandma to 4 children.
She has never been to school and is married to the school night watchman.
The picture shows how these ladies make their beadwork with a small bowl in their lap with the tiny beads in and a needle and thread.
This is MARGARET MBOYO
She is mother of 5 children,
Two are at our school Ezekial Tanin and Mirriam Nampaso
Josephine Sane
she is 26 years old she went to school to form four , married at the age of 22 . She is a mother of 2.
This is EMILY SARUNI
who is the guardian to Peris at our school. She is 71 years old. She never attended school and underwent FGM at 12 married at 15
She is a lovely lady who has had a very hard life. She is next to her mud house. She has 9 children 7 are alive. She is a widow looked after by two of her sons.
This is MARY SITAT.
She is 27 year old she is a mother of 3. She has never gone to school.
She was married off at the age of 13 . She is living a difficult life her husband has no work so she does odd jobs and bead work to look after her children.
She is a mother of 3 children and 2 are in our school Patricia seenoi and Elijah parsaloi. She is outside her home made with sticks and mud and cow dung. The roof is tin held down with Rocks
This is MAMA SIMAYO or Christine , she has 7 children, speaks a little english and is very funny and married in 2004. I have known her for a very long time and Simayo her daughter is now in Secondary School sponsored by the charity. Mothers are often called by their child's name hence Christine is known as Mama Simayo She also has a daughter called Tracey! She married at 19 years old and has 7 children. She is now 39 years old.
This is HANNAH TAUTA she is mother to Parkiteyia and shadrack parsakei both at our school
This is RHODAH LEMAYIAN,
She is 36 years . She didn't go to school. She was married at the age of 113.
She is a mother of 8 three boys and five girls.
Rhoda is infront of her home made up of sticks, mud and sheeting on the roof.
This is EUNICE MOINDI
She did not go to school and was married at age 15 in 2017
Now in 2024 aged 21 years old She has 4 children.
This is HANNAH NAISIANYA MOINKET
She got married at 19 years old in 2012
Now at 31 years old Hannah has 3 children
She is a Maasai from Narok county married at Olepolos the local village.
She has had no education and now has 3 children. One is at our school.They have no cows and no goats.She tries to earn a living by making beadwork and also does manual work like digging and planting for people's gardens.She is a hardworking woman.
This is LEAH MARISA
She got married at 14 years old in 2004
She had not gone to school.
Now in 2024 she is 36 years old with 7 children
This is JENNIFER KEREYA
Jennifer kereya , She has 9 children and was married at age of 15 as a second wife , she is 48 years old
This is her house, her co wives have their own it is a tin hut cold in winter and hot in summer.
This is ANN SEENOI KISOMPOL Ann married at the age of 15, she has 3 children, she didn't go to school she is an orphan. Ann is now 25 .
