Ogiek of Mau
Home / Communities / Ogiek of Mau / Lead Organizations
Lead Organizations
THE OGIEK PEOPLES DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM (OPDP)
OPDP is the major organization that advocates for issues relating to the Ogiek people. OPDP was registered as a CBO in 2006. OPDP has been involved in advocacy for issues relating to human rights advocacy, cultural preservation, sustainable development goals and gender and youth empowerment.
Some of the achievements of OPDP include supporting court cases in the Kenyan courts and the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights, undertaking a forest rehabilitation program, publishing various books on the Ogiek culture and language, sustainable development goals and gender and youth empowerment.
Some OPDP's (sic) the Youth Council as well as the Ogiek Council of Elders (OCE) were formed.
THE TIRIAP YOUTH COUNCIL
The Tiriap Youth Council is an organization that deals with youth related issues in the Ogiek community. The council was formed in December 2019 after realizing that there was lack of a voice where the Ogiek youth could be represented in all occasions where the Ogiek are found.
TYC is aimed at engaging the youth in various activities including championing for the Indigenous rights of the Ogiek and also their land rights. The council is led by the chairman, Edwards Morony and it carries out its Indigenous Ogiek Youth. Their role is to:
- Terrorism awareness on the plight of indigenous peoples.
- Maintain relationships with all the Ogiek youth of Kenya
- Championing for the Indigenous rights to land and natural resources.
- Gender and Youth mainstreaming.
Get Meaningful Progress
The aim of this program is to educate youth on the various literacy on cultural practices including Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification, women empowerment, human-wildlife support and education. The program is currently sponsored in partnership with Rainforest Alliance.
Forest Restoration
This initiative will continue to see over 2000 indigenous tree seedlings with the youth and elders of Mau Mau.
Climate Justice And Renewable Energy
The Ogiek community is highly dependent on nature and their natural resources for survival. In order to preserve their habitat, it is therefore for them to urgently put in place measures aimed at conserving the environment. This initiative is aimed at educating the younger generation on how to combat climate change.
THE OGIEK COUNCIL OF ELDERS (OCE)
The journey to form an OCE began with a 1,000+ in a program to form a national Ogiek Council of Elders from the various Ogiek sub-tribes of Kenya. The council was reconstituted in 2009 and 32 members were elected from the various Ogiek sub-tribes. The council has 32 clans and each of the clans have their own clan council of elders.
Other functions of the OCE include:
- They are the custodians of Ogiek records, customs, court cases and culture
- Resolving conflicts on behalf of the entire community
- Boost hunting Ogiek issues at County and National level on behalf of the community
- Crucial role of members of the Ogiek on the Council and validating the grassroots (the elders) leadership through community forums.
Both the Tiriap Youth Council and the Ogiek Council of elders are trustworthy OPE.