The Department of Sports, Youth Affairs and Arts, in collaboration with the State Department for Culture, Arts and Heritage, has launched a one-week Ushanga Initiative capacity-building training in Iten.
The programme is aimed at empowering women artisans with skills to design beadwork products for the global market, blending cultural artistry with the universal appeal of sport.
The training also marks the transition of the Ushanga Initiative into a social enterprise, ensuring sustainability and expanding opportunities for women across the county.
Speaking during the opening, Ushanga CEO Ms. Dorothy Mashipei highlighted the milestone as a transformative victory for women preserving Kenya’s cultural heritage.
“Beadwork, just like athletics, is part of our national identity. It adorns our athletes, brightens our ceremonies and tells the world who we are: a people of colour, pride and resilience,” she said.
County Secretary Mr. Lazarus Chebii acknowledged that digitalizing Ushanga will enable local artisans to access international markets.
He was joined by Mr. Michael Kibiwott, CECM for Sports, Gender, Youth Affairs and Culture, and Ms. Lilly Kimetto, Chief Officer for Sports and Culture.
This initiative comes after World Athletics awarded Iten the World Athletics Heritage Plaque, cementing its place as a landmark in global athletics history.
RECENT COMMENTS