Today we had an extraordinary experience when we visited the local village of Jerusalem. Like its counterpart in Israel, this settlement of 3,000 people is a “city of peace,” and how it came to be is remarkable.
In the 1990s, the war between Samburu, Trukana and Burana tribes had reached a boiling point, with the death toll reaching into the thousands. The warring factions were led by men, and it appeared an entire generation of men and boys would be lost.
Until, that is, the women of these three tribes took matters into their own hands. Without telling the men, the women leaders gathered and brokered a peace.
They were joined by the entirety of the women from all three tribes — literally all the women up and left their respective villages and gathered in this spot, effectively leaving the men to fend for themselves.
The men, unaccustomed to taking care of themselves, were forced to come to this place that came to be called Jerusalem, where the women laid down the law: No more fighting. No more killing. The men put down their arms, and the village of Jerusalem was born.
Today, the tribal elders are all women. They run a cooperative that sells artisanal products made by locals, and they use the proceeds to fund educational and health initiatives.
We were privileged to meet them today, and I have to say it was the warmest welcome we’ve received anywhere in Africa. It was a delight to spend the afternoon with these extraordinary women and learn about the work they do.