The mystery of the "no man" village, for decades, surprised everyone!

In Umoja , the only manless village in Kenya, the women have created a life of complete autonomy. Escaping violence and clichés, they build strong communities and demonstrate the extraordinary power of free will.

In the wild Samburu grasslands of northern Kenya, nestled among bushes and arid grasslands, is a special village: Umoja. This is not only an ordinary settlement but also a fortress of independence and resilience, where life is shaped by women who have bravely let go of the shackles of violence and injustice to find their own voice. Umoja, in Swahili , means "unified" a name that says all about the spirit of solidarity and sharing of the people here.

Umoja was born in 1990, not out of a predetermined plan but out of necessity. The first 15 women who laid the foundation for the village were all affected survivors after being physically assaulted by local British soldiers.

The pain did not bring them down, but became the motivation for them to build a safe shelter together. Since then, Umoja has become a destination for hundreds of women and children fleeing countless forms of violence and oppression: child marriage, domestic violence.

The story of Ane, who looks austere than his age, is a clear example. Physically assaulted and then violently attacked by her husband when she dared to tell the truth, Ane decided to run away with her children to Umoja. "I felt very embarrassed and couldn't talk about it with other people. They did bad things to me. When I told my husband about the physical assault, my husband attacked me with a stick. So I ran away with my children and came here," she recounted, her voice filled with pain but also shining a new hope.

The village of Umoja, with its huts made of cow dung, bamboo and tree branches, is not much different from other traditional Samburu villages, except for one thing: there are no men. Umoja women wear colorful traditional costumes, wearing necklaces made from delicate beads. They make their own jewelry to sell tourists a stable source of income to help them pay for their daily needs. Rebecca Lolosoli, the head of Umoja, is a symbol of resilience.

She was pressured to build this community, but the threats did not deter her. With 47 women and 200 children, Umoja is not just a village, but an autonomous community where people learn, support and grow together. They also manage a small campsite, which provides an additional source of income and networking opportunities.

Life in Umoja is a strong resistance to outdated customs. Here, more experienced women educate girls from villages around Samburu about the harmful effects of child marriage and FGM. Milka, who runs the village school, stressed that a young person who is forced into early marriage will not be able to be a mother and face many serious health problems when giving birth.

For the Umoja women, this life has opened up a new horizon. Nagusi , a mother of five, enthuses: "I learned how to do things that women are often forbidden to do. I was able to finance myself and when a tourist bought a bead ring, I felt very happy." This joy and confidence is something they have never experienced in their old lives.

Judia, a girl in her twenties, came to Umoja after running away from an arranged marriage. "Every day, I smile when I wake up because I always receive support and help from everyone," she shared. Memusi's story is similar, she fled just a day after marrying a 57-year-old man at the age of 11, who was sold by her father in exchange for a cow.

Although men are not allowed to stay in the village, some Umoja women still desire to have children. This suggests that for them, independence does not mean giving up motherhood. For them, the bad thing is not that they are not married and have children, but that they have no children. This is a shocking view, breaking traditional social norms and affirming women's right to self-determination over their bodies and lives.