In October 2024, the Association of Women in Agriculture Kenya (AWAK) had the opportunity to attend the Seoul Smart Life Week 2024 summit in South Korea to promote its advocacy efforts around unpaid care and domestic work. Organized by the Seoul Digital Foundation, this prestigious event gathered 230 city mayors and stakeholders from around the world under the theme “Human-Centric Tech, Connect to a Better Life,” with a special focus on supporting vulnerable communities—an initiative that aligns with AWAK’s work to promote childcare and support vulnerable women.

During the summit, the Mombasa County Government, represented by Hon. Milka Ngare, signed a historic Memorandum of Understanding with Seoul City to support the development of modern childcare centers in Mombasa’s markets. This international collaboration will bring vital resources and expertise to ensure the successful implementation of the childcare initiative.

“This achievement is the culmination of months of sensitization on the importance of safe modern childcare centres with the Mombasa County Assembly Women Caucus,” said Dr. Judy Matu, the National Executive Chairlady of AWAK, who was present to witness this historic event. Earlier this year, these efforts resulted in the County’s allocation of around USD 77,000 (KSh 10 million) in the budget to construct proper childcare facilities in local markets, marking a crucial step toward addressing unpaid care and domestic work. AWAK is deeply grateful for the partnership and support from Oxfam, which has played a key role in driving our advocacy.