Inside World Vision Kenya Efforts To Empower Drought-Stricken Communities In Marsabit

MARSABIT, Kenya, Apr 6-The pastoralist communities in Marsabit County have over the last few years felt the pain of losing their livelihoods and lived through the danger of losing their lives due to a harsh environment that they fear will have far-reaching consequences if not addressed soon.

Over time, the covid 19 pandemic, a locust invasion, and the current drought have posed significant threats to their animals and even themselves as many are not able to afford three meals a day.

But an initiative to give financial and skill support to the affected communities is enabling many families to feed well, and also engage in different income-earning activities that cushion them from the shocks of the severe situation they face. 

In any kind of weather, the people living along the shores of Lake Turkana have depended upon the waters of Africa’s largest permanent lake in a desert, for an extra income-earning activity outside herding animals.

But in the last few seasons, even the fish caught have not been in abundance, but that has only increased the vigour in which the fishermen get out there in search of an income as well as something to bring back home to the dinner table.

The government admits that the ability to touch everyone as fast as possible is not that possible and more so in an expansive Country like Marsabit.

” This sub-county is very vast. It is over 11,730 square km. and whatever the government is providing is not sufficient. That is why we call upon other partners to come on board,” Stephen Mavina, the Loyiangalani Deputy County Commissioner said during an interview with Shahidi News.

His area is one of the worst-hit within the County.

According to Cluster Manager World Vision Joseph Adome, the high temperatures and lack of rain over time have left many people here destitute in the area.

Many herders have lost their flock while the fishermen, struggle to attract a big catch, he said.

“We launched the program of cash transfer with World Vision, whereby 1,632 will benefit from cash transfer. In order for this people to get food, especially mothers and children. There is a problem of malnutrition, children have dropped out of school because their parents are moving from one place to another in search of water and pasture,” Adome said.

The collaboration between the national government and World Vision Kenya has ensured that the most vulnerable people in the community are registered alongside, the heavily affected families, in a scheme that they say will run over the next 9 months, as they hope that the skies will open up soon.

“We are targeting around 24 million in that cash transfer, we are also going to partner with the ministry of health to do, outreaches and education for breastfeeding and lactating mothers as well,” he said.

With the drought only seeming to tighten its grip in the country’s north, the communities fear that the death and devastation they are witnessing now may just become a worrying factor that threatens their actual survival.

“The drought is still persistent and we need more of our partners to support our efforts,” the Deputy County Commissioner said.

The women in the community have made economic choices, choosing to spare some of the money they get from the cash transfer program…to make beautiful beadwork, that they sell within the community and to other parts of the country.

“Because of covid 19, many children moved out of school. We are now working with parents, headteachers, national government, and other partners to ensure that the children go back to school,” Adome said.

As a start, county administration officials are visiting all homes and manyattas to implore parents to ensure that all their children go back to school and that especially those transitioning to secondary school, don’t drop out.