Sowing Seeds of Hope and Resilience: Creating a Legacy for Maasai Women
During our recent group trip, WECO founders Rebecca and Jenny sat down with Hellen Nkuriaya, founder of the Tepesua CBO, to learn more about her powerful work lifting women out of poverty and providing pathways to education for underprivileged Maasai girls. Hellen shared the story of how her work began: as a former primary school […]
Investing in Women: A Path to Sustainable Development and Economic Growth
Guest Blog By Elizabeth Cannon Investing in women is not just a moral imperative—it’s an economic strategy with substantial returns. Gender-lens investing (GLI) has emerged as a pivotal approach in the global financial landscape, aiming to close gender gaps and promote equality. This investment philosophy recognizes that empowering women can lead to transformative economic and […]
Advancing Maasai Women’s Rights in Kenya
In Kenya, women’s rights have undergone a significant transformation over the past 20 years, particularly in Maasai communities where traditional roles once confined women to domestic duties and subservience to men. Historically, Maasai women have had no voice and little power in community affairs, with a social status equivalent to that of children. With the […]
Feminism is the Future
Why Men Should Be Feminists and Allies in the Fight for Gender Equality In our quest for a more equitable, just, and sustainable future, the role of feminism is key. While the movement has historically been associated with women’s struggles for equality, the fight against gender discrimination benefits everyone, regardless of gender. There are myriad […]
The Power of Social Enterprise
As we approach the end of 2023, we want to examine a key insight WECO has had over the past three years, now that there is finally some distance between us and the height of the pandemic. One of the most impactful approaches we’ve implemented with our partners throughout this time has been building sustainable […]
The Road to Café: A Day with ASIPROFE
Our recent visit with women-owned coffee cooperative, ASIPROFE, began with a two-hour bus journey from San José to the small town, La Legua de Asseri, winding through the beautiful mountain landscapes of Costa Rica’s premium coffee-growing region, Tarrazú. Getting to the village involves navigating the curvy, steep roads with little signage, along streets lined with […]
The Gendered Reality of Climate Change
This year we have been inundated by so many things happening from all directions, it’s hard to choose what to focus on. For the sake of this end of the year blog, we’re choosing to discuss two of the most pressing issues we see as inextricably linked: climate change and gender equity. As we leave 2021 […]
COVID-19 Relief Updates
It’s been six months since WECO first carried out emergency relief to communities in Cambodia and India, while countries—especially lower-income countries—continue to grapple with the evolving pandemic. In early September, WECO heard from local partners in Cambodia that circumstances had worsened and communities in rural areas were still unable to work, meaning once again they […]
Emergency Relief in Cambodia & India
Beginning in March 2021, WECO heard worrisome news from partners in Cambodia (The Ponheary Ly Foundation and Women’s Resource Center) that COVID-19 was inching toward rural communities with elevated health risks. These areas were also experiencing food insecurity due to widespread lockdowns and discontinued programs that ultimately left many people without a means to work […]
2020 Vision: Reflections on Equity and Empowerment (Part I)
“Wisdom is about understanding big truths in a deeper way.” – Melinda Gates December is a perfect time to reflect on the past year, to deeply consider salient questions about our personal, professional, and organizational development. As WECO makes plans for new projects in 2020, we’ve stopped to review our work thus far and where […]
