Rachel Ruto’s MAMA Foundation has seen significant growth after landing multibillion deal with the world’s largest tech company, Google.
Google on Thursday announced a partnership through its Arts & Culture platform that will involve women who work with the Carakana group of the Mama Foundation for online exhibitions of the women’s needlework items.
For the purpose of promoting the national organization’s work, Google Arts & Culture (GAC) will create a stand-alone page titled Carakana: Transforming Lives.
The page will have online exhibitions that feature marginalized women and persons with disabilities describing their situations and the significance of Carakana in their lives.
Individual documentaries about Carakana members’ lives before and after joining the social impact organization will be recorded at work, in prisons, rural residences, and village settings and published on the website.
Information about the Carakana group affiliated with Rachel Ruto’s Mama Foundation
Carakana helps marginalized women and individuals with disabilities learn traditional crafts like cross-stitching so they can make money from them.
Carakana is one of the MAMA Foundation’s seven affiliates, which is run by Mama Rachel Ruto.
The business only helps disabled people, those in recovery from substance misuse, and women in prison.
Agnes Gathaiya, Country Director for Google Kenya, praised the collaboration and said Carakana’s effort represented the company’s commitment to share local knowledge and stories with everyone, everywhere.
“GAC is an innovation partner of the cultural sector. We work with cultural organisations to help them share and preserve cultural content and create exciting cultural experiences using cutting edge technology. Each month, there are more than 500 million art-related searches on Google,” she said.
Ms. Ruto expressed her appreciation for the progress and noted that the goal of her organization was to use spirituality, group influence, and collective action to catalyze socioeconomic improvement in communities.
“Going online means opening up the work of our women who are supported by Carakana to a worldwide audience. Carakana is an agent of transformation for a quality, holistic life in the society,” said Ms Ruto.
Ms. Zipporah, a recipient, claimed that while serving a jail sentence, the skills she received through Carakana had allowed her to work and earn money that she used to pay her son’s school fees. She said, “This initiative has helped me to meet my family’s needs as well as my own.”
Another recipient, Ms. Caroline, who is currently serving a sentence in jail, stated that her kid is her biggest inspiration while being confined away from him. I must proceed forward. It has been a blessing to be able to support him with the money I make through Carakana embroidery.
