The frequent periods of prolonged drought in the Samburu County result in casualties and inter-ethnic clashes. A project aims at helping local communities to prevent crises.

In the Samburu County, in Kenya, the intense drought jeopardises the health of children and women. The increased desertification has brought the population to its knees.

In the past, Fondazione L’Albero della Vita mitigated the consequences of this famine by introducing high-yield livestock breeds and teaching better breeding and farming techniques.

Women and young people as protagonists

Local communities will actively engage in all the implementation phases of the project by involving traditional authorities and groups of producers, women, students and young people. Community mobilisation and participation will be promoted by involving the Yarumal Fathers.

The main problems identified have been:

  • low agricultural production;
  • shortage of water for domestic use and for livestock breeding;
  • environmental degradation;
  • effects of climate change;
  • coexistence between humans and wildlife;
  • inter-ethnic or inter-clan conflicts for stealing cattle or exploiting resources;
  • lack of infrastructures.

During periods of drought, the risk of food insecurity is higher due to:

  • reduced number of grazing lands and deterioration of their quality;
  • increased average distance to reach the nearest source of water both for household use and for livestock breeding;
  • livestock death or deterioration;
  • families’ lower purchasing power because of the decline in market prices for cattle, sheep and goats (due to the deterioration of their health conditions and weight loss) and the increase in agricultural products’ prices (for their more limited availability);
  • limited availability of milk and meat within communities;
  • increased risk of inter-ethnic or inter-clan clashes for exploitation of grazing lands and water resources.

1,200 beneficiaries

200 families will be helped in the communities of Lodungokwe, El Chakwai and Nonkek. The aim is to enhance pastoral communities’ skills to foresee periods of prolonged drought, to diversify communities’ means of subsistence and to improve the use of water resources. At the same time, shepherds will be supported to protect the environment.