To the Coastal region, she is portrayed as a traditional woman who fights fervently to push ahead community work and advocacy campaign agendas that target mostly the youths and women. To Kaloleni subcounty, Juliet Mapenzi is an administrative executive working in the office of the president as an area assistant chief.
With a tremendous experience under her belt, she had to endure more than 10 years working for the community. A role she took without scruples.
"I am Juliet Mapenzi Ruwa, a Kenyan lady aged 32, married and a mother of one. I am doing my degree in public administration and governance; I'm also a youth, women and child rights champion. Moreover, I'm also a founder member of Uwezo Development Initiative," said Juliet.
Privy, she boasts the recourse to lead her locale as an assistant chief, a job she enjoys as it graces her with the capacity to lead, build and develop Kilifi county from the grassroots with the onset of devolution of the central government, which is now here to stay. Since her appointment to office, Juliet became the first female assistant chief to represent Mbalamweni; a sub location of Kaloleni sub county.
"Currently, I'm an assistant chief. I am the first female assistant chief in Mbalamweni sub location as there has never been a female deputy chief since independence," explained Juliet.
Unlike most chiefs, Juliet revolutionized administrative duties by standing up for her community through activism, advocacy and initiatives, intended to empower the rural woman and youth to live unaided, independent lives, know their rights and societal responsibilities; something that contributes positively to the holistic development of social, economic and financial dynamics of Kaloleni and further beyond.
"I have worked for the community, with and by the community for more than 10 years whereby I have been able to champion for the rights of children, youth, women and people living with disabilities (Pwds). I have also been a leader in different platforms like National Youth Council (N.Y.C), Youth Democracy Ambassador, Action Aid Coast region coordinator, Sauti ya wanawake just to mention but a few," said Juliet.
Before she won a slot for her current job, Juliet labored as a volunteer. In her capacity, she managed to initiate the establishment of Uwezo Development Initiative whereby her main job was to recruit and help empower young women living in distress out of Gender Based Violence (GBV), by counselling, and passing to them life skills and economic development programmes focused on providing job skills to enable them sustain their lives.
Furthermore, it was not after employment as assistant chief, when she impacted lives of young adolescents in primary schools through formation of chill clubs where she personally impacted skills in young students on matters reproductive health, acting and public speaking.
In her day to day endeavours as an administrative leader, she focusses on voluntarily passing the skills she posseses in leadership and governance, reproductive health, saving, resource mobilization and micro credit to different youths and women groups within Kilifi county.
"Like Uwezo development initiative, I had the objective of initiating formation of various development groups and made sure that I took them through different trainings personally and also through the help of like-minded partners and made sure that they were sustainable and can run on their own. For instance, House of Talent Kilifi where up to date is an envied youth group which runs under minimal supervision from the seniors," said Juliet.
The resilient lady runs handy, successful campaigns on human rights, children, youth, women and people living with disability. In with it, she drew inspiration from Mekatilili wa Menza, a dominant pillar of strength for the mijikenda community which is one of the largest ethnic groups within the Coast.
"Born in 1840's as the only daughter of five children and from a poor family, she endured what you and I do everyday as women. She got married and later became a widow, which gave her more freedom to become a woman leader. She was very passionate about her people, as one of her brothers had been snatched by Arab slavers, never to be seen again. She led the Giriama people in rebellion against the British colonial administration and participated in policy making actively between 1913 - 1914. She was imprisoned twice but managed to escape from Busia and north of the Somali border area respectively. Shouldn't such a figure be any strong woman's role model?" Cringed Juliet.
" She is a woman that I drew inspiration from and still do to date. Being a woman leader in the pre-colonial era was no easy task. You can imagine if today, women in leadership have to be able to hold their own, what about those days? She teaches me something new everyday," she affirmed.
According to Juliet, she opines that for instance, perseverance is something she draws from Mekatilili wa Menza. She explained it to me that we can do all things if we set our minds to it. Mekatilili walked thousands of kilometres to get to her native land each time she was captured.
"Why would I let my problems get me down. Some of them look so silly and minute compared to whatever Mekatilili went through," said Juliet.
Speaking of courage, it is evident how standing up to the British took a lot of bravery. They had arms, incredible numbers and in short, the odds were against her. But she pushed on. With regards to respect, Juliet looks at it from a different angle. In her own entitled opinion, she thinks that today, women command respect by taking to the streets but Mekatilili taught us respect can only be earned. Not demanded. Mekatilili earned the respect and loyalty of her people, including men by being a woman people could look up to.
Mekatilili embodied the values of her community, upheld them and their culture, despite the fierce opposition from the British. How did she do this? The success of her campaign was in part because she called women together and drew on the tradition of 'Mepoho' a female prophet who predicted that land would deteriorate, youth would not respect their elders and the Giriama would no longer bear healthy children.
"All in all, I think that we should all endeavour to be like this woman. We should not give up and we should learn to earn respect, not demand for it. Someone once told me, cheap manifestation attracts cheap attention. Being a grounded woman will command request for reverence more than asking to be respected for merely being a woman physically and biologically," explained Juliet.
Currently, Juliet is a mentor for the young women in campus (Pwani University) through Akili Dada's Emerging Leaders Program that mentors young women into getting them on board in leadership spaces and helping them transition to the workplace.
Through the good working relationship with her village elders and 'nyumba kumi' representatives, Juliet managed also to set up a self help group that seeks to empower and coordinate the nyumba kumi and village elders to make them self reliant and this group still seeks to support the needy students in future, so they get quality education.
"I do have community dialogue sessions with the youth in and out of school, men, youth and people living with disabilities whereby we come together, have interactive educative sessions and come up with resolutions, which must be fully adhered to.
Through her Uwezo Development Initiative, she is supporting 30 young mothers in the Women Empowerment in Kenya project that seeks to support the young moms who are below 24 years of age by initiating livelihood projects.
She also currently sponsors (partial not full sponsorship), one girl who is in form two pursue her secondary school education as she comes from a poor background and was almost married off.
"I love giving back to the community, and always do so quarterly; take part of my salary and buy some stuff and find a place I can go and spend with the less privileged in the society," said Juliet.
In the foreseeable future, the assistant chief targets to organize social dialogue forums whereby she shall use football and cultural activities that will bring together youths and the eldery in one platform. This will help enhance peace and security as its main aim will be for the young generation to stop the killings of the elderly and thus promote a peaceful societal coexistence. She also intends to come up with a foundation that seeks to enhance education among the locals especially the girl child by supporting those from needy backgrounds.
In addition, Juliet aims at organizing Mbalamweni Annual Awards (MAA) in the near future, which shall be an event that will seek to celebrate outstanding citizens in her sub location so that we can enhance the spirit of competition, appreciation and motivation.
"I'm parting shot with these few quotes, build someone up, put their insecurities to rest. Remind them they're worthy. Tell them they're magical. Be light in their often dim world. Every woman's success should be an inspiration to another, we are strongest when we cheer each other on. Likewise, we should reshape our own perception of how we view ourselves. We have to step up as women and take the lead," said Juliet, in between warm smiles.
