Samburu women's climate change initiatives pay off

In the recent past, residents of Samburu County have been increasingly affected by extreme drought.

Most families that rely on livestock were left without a source of livelihood after drought wiped out their cows and goats.

Jane Lesowopir, a stay-at-home mother, lost her 150 goats to a devastating drought that struck Samburu County a few years ago.

Left with nothing, she faced food shortages, unpaid school fees, and an uncertain future.

Fortunately, the Nkishon Project, introduced by the Samburu Women's Trust under the Supporting Community Led Response (SCLR), has provided much-needed assistance.

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This community-led initiative aims to support formal and informal groups in developing sustainable livelihoods to address the climate change crisis.

With support from SCLR, Lesowopir and other women have found ways to adapt to the harsh realities of climate change by breeding a little-known, hardy breed of goat known as Galla goats.

Lesowopir described Galla goats as heat-tolerant and resilient, capable of thriving even as their traditional livestock perished during the drought.

"These 'supergoats' are three times the size of our traditional goats, breed more quickly, and produce more milk," she told the Standard in a recent interview.

The women in her group received Sh200,000, which they invested in a community nutrition farm that cultivates various crops and breeds Galla goats.

"When we eventually breed enough goats, we plan to sell them at the local market. We need at least 100 goats to meet the minimum requirements to establish a breeding centre, which should take just over a year. We expect to earn double the price compared to traditional breeds," she said.

Lesowopir recalled how they had previously kept traditional breeds before drought decimated them.

"Now, we use manure from the goats on our farms to grow fresh vegetables, which helps reduce malnutrition among our children."

Reuben Lekaldero, a resident of Milimani village in Samburu East, shared that before the Nkishon Project's intervention, they struggled with farming.

"We would invest much time tilling the land and planting, but the harvests were extremely poor. It felt like a total waste of time. However, with grants provided through the Samburu Women's Trust, we can now feed our families and sell any excess harvest," he said.

He referenced a successful fruit farming initiative that has proven profitable and sustainable.

John Leparsanti, the head of the program at Samburu Women Trust, which leads the project, emphasised the goal of combating climate change through community-oriented initiatives.

"We empower the groups financially, teach them water harvesting techniques, and encourage investments in food security initiatives like agriculture and other projects that primarily focus on improving nutrition through micro-ecological methods," he stated.

Leparsanti pointed out that the prolonged drought in the region, a consequence of climate change, has killed livestock, the backbone of the community's economy.

"This has impacted education and health services in the county, contributing to malnutrition among children and elevated poverty levels, which also affects lactating mothers," he explained.

In the Samburu East constituency, the project supports at least 21 groups to promote community resilience through participatory and locally-driven solutions.

Recently, the groups received Sh4 million to support their activities.

According to Leparsanti, the groups, with assistance from the Nkishon Project, established a maternity facility in Lolkuniyani village, which has saved pregnant women from travelling 120 kilometres for services in Wamba.

"Initially, we were losing the lives of mothers and their children because they would struggle to reach the nearest maternity facility," said Rosaline Lolorua, a nurse at the clinic.

She recalled the lengthy discussions between the financiers and members of the Nailepo group that prioritised the construction of the maternity centre to ensure safe deliveries.

As a result of these negotiations, the Samburu Women's Trust allocated Sh350,000 for the construction of the maternity ward. Lolorua noted that the facility had been in operation for three years, with 26 safe deliveries recorded monthly.

"That is a significant achievement for women in Samburu East," she remarked.

Susan Lemargeroi, chairperson of the Nailepo group, shared her firsthand experience of the challenges pregnant women faced during labour before the maternity ward was built.

"We initially decided as women to contribute to the project by donating poles for the maternity construction. We then wrote to Samburu Women Trust, which allocated us funds for the project," she recalled.

The Nkishon Project has also provided sanitation facilities and clean water to Early Childhood Development Centres (ECDC) in the region. Zachary Lemedero, the secretary of the Naibocho group, mentioned that they utilised Sh300,000 from the Samburu Women Trust to construct a kitchen and toilets at the Lengarde ECDE centre.

"Before the toilets were built, the children had to go to the bush. We also didn't have a kitchen at the ECDE centre, but the kitchen has led to increased enrollment," he said.

The initiative has also ensured the supply of clean drinking water to the Lkuroto ECDE centre and established an agricultural demonstration farm.

Emanuel Lesordonkera, secretary for the Silango Nanyokie Lpusi group, described how these developments have positively impacted their community.