For years, women in Kenya's arid and semi-arid lands have played a critical but often overlooked role in conservation. Despite their deep connection to natural resource management, they have been excluded from decision-making due to entrenched cultural norms. But today, that is changing—especially across the Northern Rangelands Trust (NRT) landscape, where women are stepping into leadership roles and claiming space in governance.

The Northern Rangelands Trust (NRT) has long believed that strategic partnerships are key to building climate resilience and sustainable livelihoods across the remote landscapes of northern and coastal Kenya. On the 27th of May 2025, that belief was reaffirmed during the official launch of the Nature-Based Solutions, Water Access, and Renewable Energy Grant, funded by the Danish government through the Embassy of Denmark in Kenya.

When Juliana Lengilili joined the BeadWORKS Ngutuk Women’s Group in 2015, she eagerly applied her lifelong love for beading in a new way. Beading was familiar to her; she had learned the craft from childhood, taught by her mother and friends under the shade of a tree. She appreciated beading for its beauty, tradition, and community pride. This marked her first opportunity to pick up her needle, thread, and beads not just for leisure but to use her skills to earn money.