Kenya: Indigenous Information Network
Indigenous Information Network (IIN)
Founded in 1996, the Indigenous Information Network (IIN) works to connect Indigenous Peoples in Kenya and strengthen their demands for human rights.
Trainings for Change
The Indigenous Information Network organizes trainings on:
- human rights
- HIV/AIDS
- forced female genital mutilation
Through MADRE’s Breaking the Silence program, IIN offers trainings to thousands of people in eight Kenyan districts. They focus on communities with high rates of HIV infection. In order to reach as many people as possible, IIN holds trainings in schools and in homes in Maasai, Samburu, Rendille, Turkana and other Indigenous communities.
IIN offers special trainings for health workers on proper care for HIV/AIDS patients. The impact of these workshops reaches far beyond the thousands of direct participants, since attendees are trained to share information and facilitate ongoing discussions with friends and families.
Local Advocacy
To bring Indigenous voices to a wider audience in Kenya and foster communication between Indigenous Peoples, the Indigenous Information Network publishes Nomadic News. The magazine reports news by and for pastoral and nomadic peoples of Africa. Nomadic News focuses on the struggles of Indigenous Peoples in Africa and makes connections between grassroots, national and international politics.
International Advocacy
In addition to its work within Kenya, the Indigenous Information Network is deeply involved in African and international networks of Indigenous women activists. As an active participant in the international Indigenous movement, the IIN has played an important role in many UN conferences and forums, including the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and the World Conference Against Racism.
