00:00What drives women to ride?
00:04Is it the thrill of the open road?
00:06The hum of the engine beneath them?
00:10Or the sense of freedom that only two wheels can offer?
00:14Meet the Inked Sisterhood, a group of women breaking barriers and creating change in Nairobi,
00:19in a world where speed and steel are often seen as a man's game.
00:23How did these women carve out a space uniquely their own?
00:27I started riding in 2018.
00:30I just had a baby in 2016 actually and I felt like I needed to rejuvenate my life.
00:38Founded in 2016 and officially incorporated in 2021,
00:43the Inked Sisterhood Association, ISH,
00:46began as a response to the growing number of women motorcyclists who sought a supportive
00:51environment where they could enhance their riding abilities and road safety awareness.
00:57But what challenges have they faced?
00:59One of the challenges that we face as women is finding suitable gear for the ladies form.
01:04The second thing is a challenge on the road is motorists and recognizing riders on the road,
01:11not just commercial but also the private ones.
01:13The group's name was inspired by the Inked Biker Training School in Nairobi.
01:18What fuels these women and what impact are they making beyond the helmets and handlebars?
01:25One of the biggest misconceptions when I started riding was,
01:29how does a lady ride?
01:30Like, who has given you permission?
01:33You need this exceptional permission for you to be a lady biker.
01:37So when I joined Inked Sisterhood, I found this community of very supportive women
01:42who had all, some of them had gone through the same challenges,
01:46some of them had gone through different challenges.
01:48But one thing that stood out was that they were there for each other
01:51and I became part of that community.
01:53So apart from riding, Inked Sisterhood stands for,
01:56we have three pillars.
01:58We stand for road safety, training of our members
02:02and enhancement of skills within the group.
02:07Inked Sisterhood's influence goes beyond the motorcycling
02:10with a strong focus on social impact.
02:13Ish has partnered with Beyond Water to support the Girl Project
02:17in the Kiserian and Kibera chapters,
02:19providing mentorship, essential supplies and scholarships
02:23for girls facing challenges such as poverty, early childhood marriages,
02:28female genital mutilation, FGM and domestic violence.
02:32So the Girl Project is one of our projects,
02:36we thought about like giving back to the society.
02:39So we felt like as women, when we ride out there
02:43and go to different communities,
02:45the girls and young women are always so intrigued
02:48and wonder like how is it possible for a lady
02:51to be on such a big motorcycle, riding to so many different places.
02:55So from that admiration, we thought we should find a group of ladies
02:59or a group of young girls that we can be able to mentor
03:02and just show them that there's a brighter future ahead.
03:05But how does the experience of riding with other women differ
03:08from riding alone or with mixed gender groups?
03:12Being in the Inked Sisterhood, I've come to learn
03:13that there's a very big difference between riding alone,
03:17riding in a group and one thing is when you find like they are,
03:23it's a mixed group where there are men and women.
03:26Sometimes the men are supportive
03:27and will like kind of protect the women in the group
03:30but sometimes they are reckless and that puts you at danger.
03:34New members when they join Inked Sisterhood,
03:36we always have that first we welcome them to the group,
03:39we encourage them first to ride a little bit on their own
03:42and if they want company to get a ride around the city,
03:46gain their confidence, we also provide that as well.
03:49So as role models in the community,
03:52we have to find a balance between the thrill of motorcycling
03:56and being good advocates for the people who are looking up to us.
04:01So I think through Inked Sisterhood, we do different trainings.
04:05We have the off-road training, we do different life skill training as well.
04:11So that helps us find our balance and also following road rules obviously
04:19because when you're on the road, people are looking at you,
04:22sometimes we wear branded merchandise
04:25so you can clearly define and say that is a lady from Inked Sisterhood.
04:30But what motivates these women to ride
04:32and what does being on the road mean to them?
04:35So what drove me to ride was it was during COVID
04:38and it's been a bucket list item because I have four elder brothers
04:42of which one is actually a motorcyclist
04:45and I think also just growing around boys,
04:48you end up knowing about cars, motorbikes
04:50and so part of it was they led me into that interest.
04:55The passion for motorcycling drives me to ride.
04:57The passion for being a lady who represents something different,
05:03something unique that also drives me to ride.
05:06Being on the open roads for me is a sense of freedom,
05:10a sense of connection with God
05:13and mostly it's just about doing something that really empowers me as an individual
05:22and also a chance to meet other people who enjoy the same thing.
05:26Being on a motorcycle has helped me go to places that I've never thought I would ever go to,
05:31that I would ever reach.
05:32I mean I've been to Moyale, I've been to Amboseli on a bike
05:37so just the thrill and the excitement of going that far is very exciting.
05:43Inked Sisterhood, the non-political, non-sectarian group currently has 82 female riders
05:49and as their wheels continue to turn so too does their impact,
05:54reaching far beyond the road and into the hearts of those they inspire.
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