Yatoi Women Traditional Dancers

Enroute to Lake Bogoria, we made a brief stop at Marigat to buy some honey, souvenirs and also meet the Yatoi Women. The Yatoi Women’s Group office is located in Marigat town and can be accessed by road via the Nakuru-Baringo Highway and branch off at Marigat.

The group’s chairperson, Mrs. Jennifer Chelagat was keenly waiting for us. She narrated that the women’s group started in September 2008 as a singing group of 23 members and from their performances they would get little income to sustain their activities.

She took us round their shop where they engage in different income generating activities including; selling traditional artefacts (beaded ornaments and jewelry) and wear from the Ilchamus and Kalenjin ethnic groups; they also sew formal suits for men and women for sale.

The women have made uniforms to look unique and appeal to more people as they perform their dances.

Towards the end of our short visit the group’s Vice Chairperson, Mary Komen explained that the group’s singing group has produce an audio CD for sale, made performance at cultural festivals, weddings and burials. They also performed one of their most famous songs for us which elated our spirits and got us into a dancing mode.

As part of the group’s income generating activity, they hire out their public address system and gain interest from loans from their monthly contributions which they invest back into their enterprise. The group plans to shoot a video and produce VCDs or DVDs for sale to the public. In case you are headed to Lake Bogoria or Lake Baringo, make a stopover at Marigat and visit the Yatoi Women to purchase some traditional artefacts or listen to their performance, contact us via info@beadsafariscollection.co.ke for more details.

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