Lillian Amwanda Ochieng

Biography

Lillian is a Curator at the Kabarnet Museum, National Museums of Kenya, where she is responsible for the care and management of the collection, overseeing the preservation, interpretation, and display. Lillian’s role also encompasses acquisitions, and she conducts research and collaborates with donors and other institutions to enhance the museum’s collections. Lillian also designs and implements exhibitions, considering thematic coherence and educational value, and arranges education programmes to support these.

Lillian is an activist for human rights and gender equality. In her current research endeavors, Lillian is exploring the multifaceted role of women within indigenous communities in Baringo County, Kenya, particularly in the production, utilization, and conservation of material culture. The scope of her research covers three key themes: containers, traditional clothing, and ornaments. Lillian is actively engaged in fieldwork, collaborating with local communities to document oral histories, traditional practices, and the perspectives of women involved in these cultural practices.

Lillian hopes that her research will not only contribute to her current Anthropology Masters studies, but also amplify the voices and contributions of women in the preservation and continuation of indigenous traditions, and bridge academic knowledge with community perspectives, fostering a more comprehensive understanding of the cultural richness within Baringo County.

Lillian has completed training on conversation risk assessments which was supported by an ICOM Solidarity Project, and on leadership for conservation, supported by the IIC and Getty Institute. Lillian is also a member of ICOM Kenya and the IIC.

During her time on the ITP, Lillian aimed to acquire knowledge on education programmes and strategies with a view to implementing engaging and inclusive programmes for diverse audiences at the Kabarnet Museum. She was also looking forward to understanding the British Museum’s method of cataloguing and database management, and to spending time in the conservation department learning new methods and techniques for preserving objects.

At the British Museum

During her time at the British Museum, Lillian was based in the Department of Africa, Oceania and the Americas and her UK partner placement was spent at Glasgow Museums.

Lilians’s participation on the International Training Programme was generously supported by the Edith Murphy Foundation.