Isiolo County, Kenya · Est. 2023

In Isiolo, voices are ignored.
Power is concentrated.
We organize. We equip. We amplify.

A youth and women-led organization building strong, resilient communities through civic action, gender equality, and climate justice.

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Gender Equality & Empowerment

When women lead,
communities thrive.

We mentor, train, and build platforms for women and girls to take their rightful place — in governance, in peace, and in the economy.

Our Programs Our Story →

Governance & Civic Action

Civic power belongs
to the community.

Through Gumbaru Civic Education, we equip Isiolo’s women and youth to engage meaningfully in county budgets, planning, and leadership.

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Peacebuilding & Social Cohesion

Peace is built
person by person.

Transgenerational dialogues and women-led peacebuilding — because lasting harmony requires everyone at the table.

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Where We Focus

Five areas. One mission: inclusion.

Every program is designed to shift power — from the margins to the centre.

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Governance

Equipping women and youth with civic tools to engage meaningfully in county decisions and public budgets.

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Peacebuilding

Transgenerational dialogues that bridge divides and counter violent extremism across pastoralist communities.

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Climate Justice

Women-led climate resilience linking environmental protection to green livelihoods and resource management.

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Gender Equality

Dismantling barriers through mentorship, digital literacy, and building feminist economies in Isiolo.

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Social Justice

Amplifying grassroots voices to demand accountability, fairness, and protection of human dignity.

Why This Work Matters

Exclusion costs communities everything.

When women are kept out of governance, decisions that affect their lives are made without them. When youth have no seat at the table, their energy gets channelled into frustration — or worse.

In Isiolo, that exclusion is structural — showing up in climate vulnerability, unresolved conflicts, gender-based violence, and communities with no voice in their own future.

When women and youth lead — equipped, connected, supported — communities become more peaceful, more resilient, and more equitable.

“Jajabdthu” means strong.

That’s not just our name — it’s our commitment to every woman and young person in Isiolo who has been told their voice doesn’t count. It does. And we’ll prove it.

Featured Initiatives

Programs in action.

From civic halls to open fields — our work shows up where it’s needed most.

Governance

Gumbaru Civic Education

Training community members on rights, county processes, and public participation using digital tools and dialogue to bring more voices into decision-making.

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Climate Justice

Women-Led Green Livelihoods

Training women in climate-smart practices, tree planting, and sustainable entrepreneurship — linking environmental protection to economic independence.

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Social Justice

End Femicide Vigil Campaign

Organising a county-wide vigil joining national activists to raise awareness on gender-related killings — turning grief into collective demand for accountability.

Learn More →

From the Field

Our community in pictures.

Who We Are

Strong by name. Stronger by action.

Jajabdthu Afrika is a youth and women-led community-based organisation registered in 2023 under the Ministry of Gender and Social Services in Isiolo County, Kenya.

Our name — Jajabdthu — comes from the Borana word for “strong.” That word is a promise we make to every woman and young person in Isiolo: their strength will be recognised, supported, and amplified.

We work at the intersection of governance, peacebuilding, climate justice, gender equality, and social justice — because you can’t address one without the others.

Our Vision

A just, peaceful, and inclusive Africa where women and youth drive sustainable development and social transformation.

Our Mission

To empower African women and youth to lead in governance, peacebuilding, climate resilience, gender equality, and social justice through advocacy, innovation, and community action.

Our Story

Why we started.

Isiolo County is home to strong, resourceful communities that have survived drought, displacement, and neglect. But for too long, the women and youth who hold these communities together have been locked out of the decisions that shape their lives.

Jajabdthu Afrika was born out of that reality. A group of young women and youth leaders saw what was being lost when communities couldn’t speak for themselves — and decided to build something different.

We are not here to speak for communities. We are here to build the conditions where communities speak — and are heard.

Core Values

What guides everything we do.

Integrity

Dignity

Equality

Authenticity

Sisterhood

Justice

Diversity

Leadership

The people who power this movement.

Executive Director

Wanjiru Mburu

Wanjiru leads Jajabdthu Afrika’s strategy and community partnerships. With deep roots in Isiolo’s civic space, she brings expertise in advocacy, feminist leadership, and community mobilisation.

+254 703 820 684 · wanjiruisiolo@gmail.com

Programs Director

Warima Muggi

Warima oversees program design and implementation across all thematic areas. She brings expertise in gender equality, climate action, and participatory program development grounded in community realities.

+254 707 007 224 · nawamuggi@gmail.com

Partners & Networks

We don’t work alone.

Jajabdthu Afrika collaborates with a growing network of organisations committed to change in Isiolo and across Kenya.

Isiolo County Government

Isiolo 1325 Action Group

Drop of Dignity

Isiolo Community Development Trust

Isiolo County Gender Steering Committee

Isiolo Gender Watch

Radio Shahidi

Regional Pastoralists Peace Link

Youth-Led SRHO Kenya

Waso Green Movement

Stay Connected

Follow our journey.

Get updates on our programs, stories, and advocacy work on social media.

jajabdhucbo@gmail.com

Governance & Civic Participation

Making democracy work for everyone

The Problem

Women and youth are systematically excluded from leadership and decision-making in Isiolo. County budgets are decided without community input.

What we do: We equip women and youth with civic knowledge, confidence, and digital skills to engage meaningfully in governance at ward, subcounty, and county level.

Gumbaru Civic Education initiative — training on rights, county processes, and public participation
Film screenings during International Women’s Month linking art, dialogue, and policy awareness
Advocacy for inclusion of women and youth in county planning, budgeting, and leadership roles
Digital tools training to enable civic monitoring and community reporting

Communities with informed citizens hold their leaders to account

Featured Event

Gumbaru Civic Education Webinar

Kenyan Budget Process: Making Your Voice Count

On 1 September 2025, Jajabdthu Afrika hosted a live webinar on the national and county budget cycle — helping community members understand each stage so they can participate meaningfully in decisions that affect their lives.

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Date

1 September 2025

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Time

07:30 PM – 09:00 PM

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Format

Online Webinar (Google Meet)

Peace & Social Cohesion

Building peace from the ground up

The Problem

Isiolo sits at the intersection of multiple pastoralist communities with a history of conflict over resources. Youth are often recruited into conflict rather than peace.

What we do: We run peace dialogues and collaborate with regional platforms to build lasting harmony — with youth and women as peace actors.

Transgenerational community peace dialogues across Isiolo’s wards
Collaboration with Regional Pastoralists Peace Link and Isiolo 1325 Action Group
Mentorship of young peace champions within communities
Counter-violent extremism programming with a gender lens

When women and youth lead, dialogue holds

Climate & Environmental Justice

Green futures rooted in community

The Problem

Isiolo is one of Kenya’s most climate-vulnerable counties. Droughts hit women and pastoralist communities hardest — yet they are rarely included in climate solutions.

What we do: We advance women-led climate resilience that links environmental protection to real economic opportunity.

Capacity building for women and youth on climate-smart agricultural and livelihood practices
Tree planting, water conservation, and sustainable resource management campaigns
Partnering with Waso Green Movement to integrate gender and climate action in county programs
Advocacy for women’s land rights and resource access in climate planning

When women steward the environment, communities become more resilient

Gender Equality & Women’s Empowerment

Dismantling barriers. Building leaders.

Girls and women empowerment — FGM and GBV response

The Problem

FGM/C, child marriage, gender-based violence, and economic exclusion remain widespread in Isiolo. These are systemic failures that require sustained community-led response.

What we do: We work at both community and systems levels — shifting norms, building skills, and creating feminist economic pathways for women and girls.

FGM/C prevention & community dialogue Child marriage awareness GBV response and safe spaces Feminist economic pathways

Community sensitisation with men and elders as allies
Mentorship and training for young women in leadership and digital literacy
Building feminist economies through social enterprises and financial literacy
Safe spaces for women and girls to process, organise, and lead

Gender equality is a community necessity, not just a women’s issue

Social Justice & Human Rights

Amplifying the voices that power ignores

The Problem

Marginalised communities in Isiolo face systemic exclusion from services, accountability, and public life. Women experiencing violence have few pathways to justice.

What we do: We use advocacy, storytelling, and digital tools to make injustice visible — and demand that systems respond.

County-wide End Femicide vigil joining national action to demand accountability for gender-related killings
Advocacy for equitable access to services for vulnerable and marginalised groups
Digital innovation and creative storytelling as tools for civic engagement
Documentation and amplification of community voices through Radio Shahidi

Justice isn’t given — it’s demanded. We build the tools to demand it.

Advocacy

Why Women Must Be at the Centre of Isiolo’s Climate Response

Women in Isiolo feel the effects of drought first. They are also the most capable responders — when given the chance.

March 2025·Wanjiru Mburu

Community Stories

She Planted 200 Trees. Now Her Community Calls Her the Forest Guardian.

Fatuma Ibrahim never imagined she’d become a community leader. But joining our climate resilience program changed everything.

February 2025·Warima Muggi

Policy

Isiolo’s County Budget: Where Are the Women and Youth?

We analysed Isiolo’s county budget allocations and asked a simple question: how much goes to programs that benefit women and youth?

January 2025·Jajabdthu Afrika Team

Youth Voices

I Was 19 and Nobody Asked My Opinion. Gumbaru Changed That.

Hassan, 22, reflects on what it meant to attend his first county public participation forum.

December 2024·Guest Writer

Advocacy

End Femicide: What One Vigil Taught Us About Community Power

When we organised Isiolo’s first End Femicide vigil, we didn’t know how many people would show up. Here’s what happened.

November 2024·Wanjiru Mburu

Community Stories

The Peace Dialogue That Brought Three Villages Together

Tensions between pastoralist communities had been building for months. Jajabdthu Afrika brought elders, youth, and women together.

October 2024·Warima Muggi

Videos

Watch the movement.

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Gumbaru Civic Education — Launch Event 2024

Community members share what civic education means for their participation in county governance.

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Women-Led Climate Action in Isiolo County

A short documentary following women leading tree planting and water conservation in their communities.

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End Femicide Vigil — Isiolo County 2024

Documentation of Isiolo’s first End Femicide vigil, joining national calls for accountability.

Reports & Publications

Research from the ground up.

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Jajabdthu Afrika Organisational Profile 2024

A full overview of our organisation — who we are, what we do, our programs, partnerships, and future outlook. The essential document for prospective partners and funders.

↓ Download PDF

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Women in Governance in Isiolo County: A Status Report

An analysis of women’s participation in county decision-making structures — including public participation, county assembly representation, and budget processes. Published 2024.

↓ Download PDF

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Climate Vulnerability & Women’s Resilience in Isiolo: Field Notes

Documentation from our climate resilience programs — capturing community voices on drought impacts and the solutions women are already building.

↓ Download PDF

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End Femicide Campaign Brief: Isiolo County Response

A brief documenting our End Femicide vigil — the community response, lessons learned, and advocacy asks directed at county and national government.

↓ Download PDF

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Transgenerational Peace Dialogues: Methodology & Outcomes

A working document describing our peace dialogue facilitation approach and outcomes measured across sessions in 2023–2024.

↓ Download PDF

In Isiolo, voices are ignored.Power is concentrated.We organize. We equip. We amplify.

When women lead,communities thrive.

Civic power belongsto the community.

Peace is builtperson by person.

Five areas. One mission: inclusion.

Governance

Peacebuilding

Climate Justice

Gender Equality

Social Justice

Exclusion costs communities everything.

Numbers that reflect real work.

Programs in action.

Gumbaru Civic Education

Women-Led Green Livelihoods

End Femicide Vigil Campaign

Building the next generation of feminist leaders.

Our community in pictures.

Ready to build a more just Isiolo?

We are Jajabdthu Afrika.

Strong by name. Stronger by action.

Why we started.

What guides everything we do.

The people who power this movement.

We don’t work alone.

Follow our journey.

Become part of the network.

Five themes. One vision. Real impact.

Making democracy work for everyone

Kenyan Budget Process: Making Your Voice Count

Building peace from the ground up

Green futures rooted in community

Dismantling barriers. Building leaders.

Amplifying the voices that power ignores

Support our programs.

Stories from the ground.

Why Women Must Be at the Centre of Isiolo’s Climate Response

She Planted 200 Trees. Now Her Community Calls Her the Forest Guardian.

Isiolo’s County Budget: Where Are the Women and Youth?

I Was 19 and Nobody Asked My Opinion. Gumbaru Changed That.

End Femicide: What One Vigil Taught Us About Community Power

The Peace Dialogue That Brought Three Villages Together

Our work, documented.

Watch the movement.

Research from the ground up.

Jajabdthu Afrika Organisational Profile 2024

Women in Governance in Isiolo County: A Status Report

Climate Vulnerability & Women’s Resilience in Isiolo: Field Notes

End Femicide Campaign Brief: Isiolo County Response

Transgenerational Peace Dialogues: Methodology & Outcomes

In Isiolo, voices are ignored.
Power is concentrated.
We organize. We equip. We amplify.

When women lead,
communities thrive.

Civic power belongs
to the community.

Peace is built
person by person.