{'fraction_non_alphanumeric': 0.02616499827407663, 'fraction_numerical': 0.013255091473938557, 'mean_word_length': 5.542908762420957, 'pattern_counts': {'":': 0, '<': 0, '<?xml version=': 0, '>': 0, 'https://': 0, 'lorem ipsum': 0, 'www.': 0, 'xml': 0}, 'pii_count': 0, 'substrings_counts': 0, 'word_list_counts': {'cursed_substrings.json': 4, 'profanity_word_list.json': 0, 'sexual_word_list.json': 0, 'zh_pornsignals.json': 0}}
The role of women enterprises for the conservation of Kakamega forest, Kenya

Past studies showed that Kakamega Forest in western Kenya faced rapid deforestation. Local people are often blamed for this problem. However, this paper argues that local people also have traditionally played important roles in sustaining the forest environment. This paper seeks to demonstrate how local women’s community-based entrepreneurial activities have enhanced the management and conservation of Kakamega Forest. A questionnaire survey was administered to 149 women who belonged to various entrepreneurial/conservation groups called chamas near this forest. We found that many of these women found opportunities to earn more income from forest conservation activities. For example, about 58% of the respondents were involved in the cultivation and domestication of indigenous/medicinal plants that they harvested from the forest. These activities led to the conservation of indigenous species and, at the same time, eased ecological pressure on the limited forest resources. Also, about 19% of the respondents were involved in making eco-friendly jikos or cooking stoves for business purposes. This effort reduced fuel wood harvesting from the forest.


INTRODUCTION
Recently, the Government of Kenya has recognized important roles local forest communities play in managing forest resources (Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, 2007). The Forestry Act of 2005 promotes co-management of forests with local communities (Government of Kenya, 2005). However, in any given community, men and women have different opportunities, motivation and capabilities to involve themselves in collective management or conservation actions (Pandolfelli, Meinzen-Dick, & Dohrn, 2007;Salam, 2016). Kabutha and Humbly (1996) reported that rural women manage as much as 74% of Kenya's smallholding farms and natural resources through their daily life activities. Their participation in forest management is vital to its success and sustainability.
Kakamega Forest is the third highest conservation priority site in Kenya partly because it is the water catchment for Lake Victoria. It is the habitat of more than 300 species of birds, 32 species of snakes, 7 species of primates, and 400 species of butterflies (Zimmerman, 2001). The population density of the area around the forest is 600 people per km 2 (Blackett, 1994). More than 200,000 people live in 57 villages. Most depend on Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) for their livelihood (Kenya Indigenous Forest Conservation Programme, 1994).
Several studies have been conducted on community participation in forest management, its effects on household poverty and opportunity cost of forest conservation (Börner, Mburu, Guthiga, & Wambua, 2009;Emerton, 1996;Guthiga, Mburu, & Holm-Mueller, 2008;Mogaka, 2001;Ongugo, Mbuvi, Maua, Koech, & Othim, 2007;Wanninayake, 2016). However, we do not yet know to what extent women networking and entrepreneurial activities have contributed to forest conservation. This paper seeks to investigate how women's community-based entrepreneurial activities have enhanced the management and conservation of Kakamega Forest.

LITERATURE REVIEW
There are different types of ecological activities (Papavasileiou, 2015). The types of activity are characterized as ecological administration or activity in nature or eco-the executives, for example direct activity in the condition, utilization activity, the cognizant or non-cognizant acquisition of specific items, influence by people or gatherings to others on ecological issues, political and legitimate activity (Papavasileiou, 2015). All in all, natural examinations incorporate three sorts of ecological activities. Right off the bat, ecological activism, also, natural activities in the non-dissident open circle, for example, open arrangement support or the readiness to settle higher expenses, and thirdly, ecological activities in the private circle, for example, green item buys, vitality sparing practices and reusing (Abualsaud, 2019;Stern, 2000). Other research contemplates have utilized comparable arrangements. There are three sorts of natural activities, natural activities in the private circle, in their family units, and ecological activities in people in general circle, at the network level (Hunter, Hatch, & Johnson, 2004). In every one of these activities the job of ladies is by all accounts especially significant (Xiao & Hong, 2010). Numerous logical examinations have been directed researching the relationship of sex to cooperation in ecological activities (Uçar & Canpolat, 2019;Zelezny, Chua, & Aldrich, 2000), just as other investigate considers concentrating on every day home vitality sparing practices e.g., (Carlsson-Kanyama & Lindén, 2007;Räty & Carlsson-Kanyama, 2010). Albeit a few examinations have discovered no sex contrasts in ecological practices (Blankenau, Snowden, & Langan, 2007), most investigations presume that ladies have a more significant level of ecological conduct than men (Lee, 2009;Torgler, Garcia, & Macintyre, 2008).
Besides, some logical research is endeavoring to decipher sexual orientation contrasts in ecological activity. These dissects are identified with the socialization of the genders and the qualities to which both genders are arranged. As indicated by the hypothesis of socialization, ladies are associated to be progressively empathetic, mindful and agreeable, so they have a progressively exceptional component of care including care for nature (Zelezny et al., 2000). The socialization of men is not quite the same as that of ladies. Need is typically given to coordinating them into the work advertise in professional turn of events and financial turn of events (Wehrmeyer & McNeil, 2000). Notwithstanding, discoveries from different studies show that sexual orientation contrasts are not identified with social jobs (McCright & Sundström, 2013).
In creating nations, ladies' day by day life with respect to issues identified with the indigenous habitat and its insurance, just as their natural activities, are specifically noteworthy (Aditya, 2016;Jahan, 2008). They are included day by day in exercises identified with the protection of nature with regards to conventional home exercises. Their exercises are various, so they oversee and utilize common assets and in this way play an significant job in overseeing them. They are in direct contact with the regular habitat and they have a direct connection with it, as they gather from nature significant species, for example, organic products, vegetables, herbs, wood for fuel and water. They consider woodlands to be a wellspring of essential family needs. There is a cozy relationship among ladies and the regular habitat. Ladies' lives rely totally upon the earth. Generally provincial families rely upon nature to live. In this manner, practical neighborhood improvement can't be accomplished without the backing and acknowledgment of ladies' commitment to natural administration (Jahan, 2008;Nasrin, 2012). Therefore, this study indicates, how women help to grow their business through forest.

Study Area
Local people used the forest for collecting fuel wood, grass for thatching and medicinal plants. They also performed important religious ceremonies there. This forest is protected as a national reserve and managed by the Kenyan Wildlife Service. It is primarily old-growth forest, supporting rich biological diversity (Omare, Kiyiapi, & Kamaara, 2013).

Data Collection
The main discussion in this paper is based on field interviews and the questionnaire survey. The questionnaire survey was administered in September and October 2017. Before this, we conducted a preliminary field study to better understand the local context. The questionnaire was distributed to 180 rural women in three villages. We collected 149 fully answered questionnaires. The questionnaire focused on three sets of questions. The first set attempted to identify women businesses activities. The second set of questions sought to understand the various business opportunities women explored in energy saving technologies. The third part of the questionnaire aimed to explore apiculture and sericulture entrepreneurial ventures our respondents were involved in.
In order to better understand the significance of the data we collected, we reviewed past publications on rural women and the environment with particular focus on women's enterprises. We also examined reports of the International Centre for Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) that focused on the Integrated Project on Conservation of Kakamega Forest (IPCKF), Kenya Indigenous Forest Conservation Programme (KIFCP), Intermediate Technology Development Group (ITDG) and several Community Based Organizations ( CBOs) reports.

Commercial Production and Processing of Medicinal Plants
The first part of the survey asked our respondents to explain their commercial medicinal plant production and processing activities. We then analyzed how these activities contributed to the conservation of Kakamega forest. About 58% of the respondents were involved in the cultivation and domestication of indigenous/medicinal plants that they harvested from the forest. We found that women from about 26 households near the Kakamega Forest established Muliru Enterprise, a Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) with the support of ICIPE. It is a medicinal plant processing facility at Isecheno village in the southern part of Kakamega Forest. It processes plant materials from domesticated and cultivated Ocimum kilimandscharicum, Ocimum suave and Lippia ukambensis (indigenous traditional medicinal plants). It also manufactures medicinal and pest control products. The purified essential oil is used in the production of Naturub balms and ointments. These products have received wide acceptance in the Kenyan market and are competitive with major international brands.
Another group of Kakamega women organized Mondia whytei enterprise with the support from ICIPE to operate a second processing plant. It cultivated Mondia whytei, a local medicinal root and manufacture of neutraceutical products called Mondia tonic which is currently sold in three large chains of supermarkets in Nairobi. This company and another one recruited several women near Kakamega Forest to commercially cultivate medicinal plants for them. Our respondents said that they could earn more profits from the domestication and cultivation of medicinal plants than other farming activities. The cultivation of medicinal plants requires minimal farm inputs, and there is ready market. This business has heightened their appreciation of forest biodiversity.
One employee of the Muliru enterprise explained to us that the company uses part of its revenues for forest conservation activities by conservation chamas. These chamas conduct workshops on biodiversity conservation and alternative livelihood solutions. They also operate several indigenous tree seedling nurseries, which are used for on-farm planting, reforestation, and agroforestry trainings.

Clean Energy Enterprises
Our survey also attempted to understand Kakamega women's energy saving technology works in connection to Kakamega Forest conservation. About 19% of the respondents were involved in clean energy businesses. For example, the Intermediate Technology Development Group (ITDG), an NGO, hired women to design and install energy saving cooking devices in rural homes. Another NGO, the Global Giving Foundation, trained rural women to make Mwangabora solar lamps from recycled materials. Other women made and sold eco-friendly jikos or cooking stoves at local markets.
In the past Luhya women in Kakamega used to spend many hours to collect fuel wood in Kakamega Forest as their traditional three-stone cooking method requires a large amount of fuel wood. Women suffered from smoke and hard labor. This problem induced them to adopt clean and efficient cooking technologies. The respondents noted that clean energy businesses dramatically reduced the amount of fuel wood they need for cooking. Some of them recycled waste to form briquettes which they use as fuel. These business activities have significantly reduced pressure on forest.

Apiculture and Sericulture Enterprises
We then attempted to assess how apiculture and sericulture activities had promoted Kakamega Forest conservation. Through its commercial insects programme, ICIPE trained Kakamega women in income-generating sericulture and apiculture technologies. Chama members acquired skills for modern beekeeping methods and honey production. Iguhu silkworm chama was involved in sericulture. ICIPE sells silk worms at affordable price to women in agribusiness chama. It later buys cocoons from these women for export. The Kenyan government and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) established the National Sericulture Research Centre at the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) stations at Kakamega which provides training and extension services to women in silkworm farming. Our respondents noted that through apiculture and sericulture activities they became aware of the ecological and economic importance of bees and silkmoth in Kakamega Forest. They planted indigenous trees in the forest. The construction of hives, rearing cages, and related appliances for rearing and harvesting of silkmoth and honeybees created jobs for local artisans as well us awareness of the sustainable use of timber products. Some women we interviewed said they used mulberry tree from Kakamega Forest for fuel, fodder and fruits. Women entrepreneurs in apiculture introduced the eco-honey label with the support of ICIPE to improve the market potential of their products. Organic certification systems were established to increase the market profile and economic advantage.

CONCLUSION
Overall, we found that Kakamega women are central to the success of sustainable management of Kakamega Forest. This study highlighted some of the entrepreneurial activities Kakamega women are involved in the conservation of Kakamega Forest. About 58% of our respondents were involved in commercial cultivation and processing of medicinal plants. Their involvement in business activities heightened their appreciation of forest biodiversity. Other women were involved in apiculture and sericulture activities which enhanced conservation and production of bees and silk moth species from Kakamega Forest.