For many years, Indigenous women have imagined a different future — one where
they are not only beneficiaries of funding, but architects of it. The launch of the
Naapu Indigenous Women Fund marks the moment that vision became reality.
From the perspective of the Indigenous Women Council (IWC), this is not simply the
birth of a new fund. It is the emergence of a new power structure — one rooted in
Indigenous women’s knowledge systems, lived realities, and collective strength.
This is the first feminist and philanthropic Indigenous women-led fund designed by
women, for women — grounded in self-determination, trust, and the cultural
landscapes that shape Indigenous women’s lives. It honours their beliefs, safeguards
their knowledge, and centers their safety and dignity.
More than funding — a shift in who decides
For generations, Indigenous women have navigated systems that excluded them —
systems that demanded complex proposals, unfamiliar languages, and rigid
conditions that rarely reflected their realities.
This fund changes that. It offers something profoundly different:
• Access without barriers
• Trust without suspicion
• Resources without restrictions
• Voice without translation into someone else’s framework
Women can apply through a simple process — a short form, a conversation, even
sharing their ideas in the language they know best. For many, this is the first time
funding truly meets them where they are.
Not just KES 173 million — a redistribution of power
While the financial investment is significant, what matters most is what it represents.
This is a shift away from gatekeeping. A disruption of funding systems that have
historically excluded grassroots Indigenous women. An investment in movement-
building — not projects alone, but people, solidarity, and long-term transformation.
It recognizes what Indigenous women have already proven for decades: they do not
wait for permission to lead.
Ten years of holding the vision
For over a decade, Indigenous women held onto this dream without institutional
funding. What sustained them was not external resources, but internal power — trust
in themselves, commitment to each other, and unwavering dedication to women’s
agendas rooted in community realities.
Their solidarity became their infrastructure.
Their knowledge became their strategy.
Their persistence became their foundation. The fund is not the beginning of their
work — it is recognition of work that has always existed.
A platform, a voice, a future redefined
This model gives Indigenous women what has long been denied: visibility, legitimacy,
and decision-making power within the global funding landscape. It redefines who is
seen as an expert, who sets priorities, and who shapes solutions. It is a platform for
Indigenous women to design their futures on their own terms.
What this moment means
From the IWC’s perspective, this launch represents something deeply emotional and
historic. It is affirmation. It is justice. It is possibility. It tells Indigenous women
everywhere:
Your knowledge matters. Your leadership is valid. Your vision is fundable. Your future
is yours to define.
This is not simply the launch of a fund. It is the strengthening of women’s power. It is
the dismantling of exclusion. It is the building of a new narrative — one where
Indigenous women are not at the margins of change, but at its center.
And this is only the beginning.
