The Ogiek are East Africa’s largest forest-dwelling Indigenous Peoples’ community and have survived for generations by deeply understanding the ecosystem of their ancestral lands, the Mau Forest in southwest Kenya.
“Seed saving is a key part of our heritage,” says Judy Kipkenda, who is part of the Koibatek Ogiek Women and Youth Network (KOWYN). Since time immemorial, the Ogiek have carefully collected, preserved, and shared seeds of native plants suited to their environment. These seeds not only keep biodiversity alive, she explains, but also provide a reliable food source.
Under Judy’s leadership at KOWYN, these seed practices are now being revived through community seed banks and sustainable farming training.
“Our kitchen gardens now flourish with traditional crops like millet, sorghum, and medicinal herbs,” Judy says. The network also promotes traditional methods of beekeeping as another way to earn an income while helping to conserve the forest.
All together, these living repositories of ancestral knowledge strengthen community bonds and allow the Ogiek to build livelihoods that are sustainable and resilient.
In doing so, Ogiek women and youth are reclaiming their heritage and role as guardians of an ancient ecosystem.
In the last decade, that role has been threatened by evictions and displacement driven by government conservation projects. And while the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights has recently granted them control over their forests, the Ogiek continue to struggle to regain full sovereignty.
Against this backdrop, Judy’s mission to nurture the traditional knowledge that sustains her community is both a way to prepare new generations of forest custodians and a means to protect their access to adequate and culturally acceptable food in the future.
At only 35, Judy’s advocacy and conservation work is already reaching a global audience, including through the Global Indigenous Youth Caucus, where she and others have demonstrated the importance of Indigenous Peoples’ knowledge in tackling global challenges like climate change and loss of biodiversity.
Judy has been nominated as one of the Chairs of the caucus, which is working towards the next session of the UN Global Indigenous Youth Forum in 2025, alongside FAO.
“Our efforts show a strong commitment to food that respects and integrates our rich cultural heritage and Indigenous Peoples’ knowledge,” Judy concludes.
