NAOM KEMUNTO MOKUA
Six years ago, 414 kilometers away from her village in western Kenya, Naom found a new home in - Samburu…
Naom was born and raised in a small village in Kisii County. Growing up in a rural setting, her parents struggled to meet the family's basic needs. They were not alone. In her town, over 75% of families struggled to raise school fees for secondary and tertiary education. Sanitary towels, one of the basics for women and girls, were a luxury for affluent families, and the majority of women used improvised and unhygienic methods like rags during menstruation. Despite these challenges, Naom’s parents prioritized her education and she was lucky to have the opportunity to attend both primary and secondary school. Her firsthand experience of the challenges facing rural communities, especially women and girls, impacted Naom tremendously and, when she graduated, she decided to pursue a career in development.
In 2015, Naom landed her first role in development working as a volunteer for Caritas in Maralal. She quickly realized the challenges she faced as a young girl were not specific to her village, but cut across county and country borders. This propelled her passion for gender equality and general women’s empowerment.
Over the five years’ period she was at Caritas Maralal, Naom worked as a Volunteer, Data Clerk, Project Officer and Gender and Advocacy Associate. She successfully implemented projects in education, livelihood, advocacy, peace building, women economic empowerment, gender, disaster management and emergency response. In 2020 she became Caritas Maralal’s Liaisons Officer overseeing the implementation of internal events and campaigns.
Naom is a graduate from Daystar University with a degree in Communication (Public Relations). She holds various certificates for short time training on Computer Packages, Peace and Conflict Management, Geographical Information Systems (GIS), Household Dialogue Facilitation and Gender and Protection Mainstreaming. A proud mother of three, Naom is passionate about anything GENDER related and her greatest fulfillment is to see a community where women thrive in all aspects of life.