Life after prison: how Eldoret Women for Development rebuild community through gardening
Ann Eve knows firsthand that turning your life around is possible. Once imprisoned, she now supports formerly incarcerated women and trans and intersex people in Kenya in building a new life. Mama Cash spoke with her about women’s rights, gardening, and changing community mindsets.
By Annette Farshchi, Writer at Mama Cash
Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
‘My name is Ann Eve, and I work for Eldoret Women for Development, or ELWOFOD, as a livelihood programme officer. Years ago, I was arrested for a crime I didn’t commit and served two years in prison. I first got to know about ELWOFOD when they came to visit us in prison. By the time I was released, I had lost almost everything. But ELWOFOD helped me with bail. They mentored and counselled me, helped me to adjust to life outside prison. Other ex-prisoners were my examples; they encouraged me and brought out my self-esteem. They showed me that life goes on.
I started working in their kitchen garden, and I felt I had a home again. Then I started doing advocacy work, which helped me understand my rights and showed me that I could change people’s attitudes. I became a new person. After a year of training, I began to train other women. This helped me understand how the organisation runs. I started mentoring others and walking with them on their journey. I was very committed because I didn’t want anyone else to live what I went through. Today, I am a livelihood programme officer, and I can say I am happy.’
What does your work look like?
‘Our programme trains women in many skills, from gardening to designing handbags. Every day, we meet at our demonstration site, where we teach women how to plant, care for, and harvest crops. Every week, we harvest and do weeding together. Over time, we encourage women to start gardening in their own kitchens, using sacks as planters. We ask if they are happy with their work, how the plants are growing, and if they can rely on their produce for food or need extra support.
One of our recent successes is the vocational training centre where we teach sewing and designing. We have electric sewing machines and use locally available materials, like kitenge fabric, to make head turbans and foldable handbags. The trainees design and create these products, and we help them find markets. We also make soap and detergents and farm oyster mushrooms, which are highly nutritious and beneficial for people living with diabetes.
We now have ten people mentoring new trainers, and I am one of them. This expands our capacity to support more women. We are the only organisation offering a programme like this. Our approach is long-term: we mentor women until they’re ready to graduate. Every week, we welcome new participants. Right now, we support around 150 people.
After graduation, we continue to follow up and support the women. They inspire others, and our visits to them remind them that they’re still part of our family.
‘Many graduates come back to join our sessions and continue the cycle of mentoring.’
What does the sack gardening look like and why do you use this method?
‘Once trainees are confident with the techniques learned on the demonstration site, we encourage them to start a sack garden at home. These gardens are simple but effective: using sacks filled with soil to grown vegetables in small spaces. The harvest from these gardens is mostly used for home consumption, and any surplus can be sold for income. We support them in saving part of their profits, so they don’t have to rely on banks. With this money, they can start a small business, a grocery store for example, and we also provide bookkeeping training to ensure they are in charge of their finances.’
How do these programmes affect individual lives? Is there someone whose transformation inspired you?
‘It is very difficult to choose just one person, but I want to share the story of Lilian Uma. She’s a mother of six and a widow who served three years in prison for selling illicit brew. We got in touch with her as she was leaving prison. At that time, she didn’t want to leave because she had no home to return to and no courage to face the world. Her children were taken in by a friend or were living on the street. Her property had been taken by her in-laws.
When we first met her, she was very emotional. The first thing we did was listen to her, counsel and encourage her. We got her a place to stay. Other women in the programme shared their stories and she realised she was not alone.
Then we worked with village elders and the children’s department to bring her family back together. We arranged for her children to get medical care and return to school. That’s when Lilian started getting her self-esteem back. We helped her start a kitchen garden and join the mentoring programme. She learned that nobody has the right to take what belongs to you, not her house nor her children. She went to court herself to defend her property and her children.
Lilian understood that she was not supposed to die in prison, and that being a widow doesn’t mean people should demean you. That there are alternatives in life.
Today, Lilian is an ambassador for Eldoret Women for Development. She is one of our best tailors and a talented designer. She’s very vocal about women’s rights and represents the rights of women and trans and intersex people who have been incarcerated. She helps them to be proud of themselves again.’
Stories like this show what can happen when people are given a second chance. What are some of the biggest misconceptions people have about women and trans people coming out of prison?
‘Many people wrongly believe that women and trans people who have been in prison, especially sex workers, don’t have good morals or don’t fit in our community. But when you bring them closer and listen to their stories, you understand their challenges and background, and it changes your perspective. With support and knowledge of their rights, they can change the community.
Intersex people also face harsh judgment. But they don’t choose to be born that way. You don’t judge me by colour, or by the number of fingers that I have. In the same way, we should not judge someone for being intersex. These are our brothers and sisters.
Support after release from prison is essential. Without it, there’s a 60% chance you return to prison, according to our case study. That shows how important it is to help people rebuild their lives.
We are doing the work that the government should be doing. What we need is real solutions to the problems we face. The reality is that they are not safe in prison. They’re being harassed, humiliated, and isolated.
Sending people to prison doesn’t change their nature. What they need is to be challenged and to be heard.
They refer to that place as hell. And when they leave prison and apply for a job, no one wants to hire them. They are treated unfairly, and it seems no one wants to understand them. The truth is that anyone can end up in prison. So, we must ask ourselves: if it were me, or someone I love, how would I want to be treated?’
When someone joins the programme for the first time, what’s the first thing you want them to feel or know?
‘I want them to know that there is somebody that loves and understand them, that doesn’t judge them. They should feel that love. And they should know that there’s a whole life ahead of them, they shouldn’t give up. There is hope to rebuild their life.’
How did Mama Cash funding shift things for ELWOFOD?
‘Mama Cash has been a partner since 2019. Your funding helped us change the way people think. It brought a shift in mindset to women coming out of prison and for the community around them. When we started, people were hostile, and some local leaders tried to block our work.
We took our time to speak with people. We explained who we are, what we are doing, and why it matters. Change comes through action. When the community saw the results of our work, they began to accept our programmes.
At first, some men questioned why women should run businesses. We asked them a simple question. If you are not there tomorrow, who will take care of your family? That helped them see our point. And it’s not only about bringing food to the table, but also about safety and rights. Women deserve to live free from violence. They deserve to be happy and to have a voice in government decisions. We will not give into pressure or intimidation. Today, we see men and boys supporting women in doing the farm work, working on the markets, and attending vocational training.
Over time, people started to understand that empowering women helps everyone.
Women are not here just to be supported. They are here to lead and create change.
Because of our advocacy and mentoring, women are now more confident. They go to government offices, apply for county tenders, and are in political spaces. We have helped women coming out of prison understand that it’s their constitutional right to own property. That’s it’s not a mistake to be born a woman. That their voices and their ideas matter.’
As someone who has lived through the system and is now leading change, what keeps you grounded and hopeful?
‘Our work is broad, and there are high expectations from both the country and the community. But knowing we can reach so many people gives me strength. The women in the programme also motivate me. They remind me that we should never tire and that we need to do even more. Every success story I hear inspires me to keep going. I have seen the shift from hostility to encouragement, even from our county government. That reminds me that progress is possible. We have achieved more than we ever expected.
I feel rejuvenated every morning. Each day, I ask myself how I can change someone’s perspective. This work is a calling. These women have been isolated and neglected for too long, and every time we come together and share our stories, it builds someone’s morale. These women can count on us. They are the backbone of our community, and we want to make sure they never lose hope. After a day of work, I know I gave someone a reason to be happy.’
What are your dreams for your organisation?
‘I would like to expand our work in many ways. First, I’d like to move our vocational centre to a permanent space that belongs to us.
If we would have more electric sewing machines, we could support more women.
And right now, we have only one demonstration space. If we had three sites in different locations, we would spend less time travelling and more time mentoring. I also want to involve more partners and hold more advocacy meetings, which are costly.
We always give our best because we want there to be many more success stories. This work may not be easy, but it is one of a kind.’
With your help, people like Ann Eve can keep leading change and uplifting other women and trans and intersex people. Donate today to support the work of Eldoret Women for Development and other grantee-partners.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.