“I have enjoyed being at the workshop and I am hopeful that united we will do great things and be able to support each other through the challenges of matatu (public van) life. I am honored to be the chair of the women in transport in Nairobi and we will do great things with God’s help” Elizabeth Njoki, Chairperson of Women In Transport (WIT) Nairobi Chapter 

Elizabeth’s story is part of the WIT programme by Flone  Initiative that has equipped women with critical skills to help them thrive in the transportation industry, as  well  as  built  their  capacity  around  their  ability  to  self-organise  and advocate for their rights. Flone Initiative has now launched the Women in Transport project in Nairobi which seeks to create an independent Women In Transport Chapter, which will be organised and governed by women working in the transport industry.  

This  group  was  launched  with  a  small  group  of  Women  In  Transport volunteers organising workshops on parenting, financial management and on  women  of  relevance  meeting.  Additionally, the women were able to come up with a name for their chapter, a constitution, held elections and are currently in the process of registering the chapter. 

For Flone, ensuring that the rights of the women who work in transport are met is not the only thing they focus on but rather they also equip these women with several skills that are useful in their day to day lives and in some instances to their passengers. “The parenting meeting allowed us to share tips on raising our children.  I  was  able  to  give  and receive  advice,  which  was  great.  The  first  aid training  in  particular  has  granted  me  skills  on how  to  handle  sick  or  disabled  passengers.  I have had to take charge in ensuring a partially blind passenger arrived at his destination safely, and got off at the right stage. On one occasion, I noticed   a   woman   whose   baby   was   having trouble   breathing.   I   thought   they   may   be suffocating and opened the windows to provide ventilation,   after   which   the   baby   was   more comfortable. The WIT trainings have helped me better understand the needs of my passengers.” Hellen Khakasa, Matatu Conductor. 

Flone’s vision beyond Voice is to develop independently organised and autonomous WIT Chapters which are supported by and connected to Flone Initiative.  This  way,  groups  can  advocate  for  their  specific  needs within  various  contexts  and  govern  themselves  according  to  their  own internal  agreements.  We  envision  that  the  annual  Women  &  Transport Africa  Conferences  can  serve  as  a  convening  place  for  these  chapters  to come together, share victories and skills and develop common strategies.  

“I’m glad that I have attended the WIT meetings because  now  my  family  and  my  co-workers  are taking  me  more  seriously.  When  I  share  what I’ve learned during these meetings on Facebook, my  family  and  friends  are  able  to  see  that working in transport is not a job to be ashamed of and is important work. At work, my superiors are  able  to  recognize  that  I  have  more  to  bring to  the  table  than  the  usual  academic  papers.  I know how to market myself using the skills that I’ve  gained,  especially  first  aid,  and  this  has helped  me  get  other  jobs  in  transport  that  are even  outside  of  the  matatu  sector.  Employers are   able   to   see   that   I   have   a   passion   for transport, and that I have a lot of exposure, and so  they  have  trusted  me  to  do  the  job  that  I would otherwise have not qualified for.”  Naomi Ngugi, Matatu Conductor 

Flone Initiative also intends to continue implementing the Gender Sensitive Mini-Bus Services and Transport Infrastructure Toolkit over the course of the next several years.  Implementation  will  include  continued  data-collection,  integrating  feedback  and  editing  of  the  toolkit, trainings, assistance  with  policy  development  and  working  with  government  and private entity stakeholders to come up with innovative solutions to realize the toolkit recommendations. Project implementation is scheduled to take place in Mombasa, Kenya, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and Kampala, Uganda.