Save the Pastoralist: Improving One Community’s Way of Life Through Dry Land Agriculture

Kenya’s northern county of Turkana is home to the country’s second largest pastoral community. The people of Turkana predominately live a nomadic, pastoral way of life in which their animals are the main source of food and wealth. Turkana is also one of the driest districts in the country; rainfall is minimal and unpredictable. The many years of drought have created an ongoing struggle with hunger and malnutrition and a continual threat to their cattle and pastoral land.

Two MasterCard Foundation Scholars, Lucia Lebasha and John Awiel, were motivated to take action against the pervasive hunger and malnutrition in the nomadic county. Their own experiences – having both grown up in the area – gives them insight into the daily hardships those in the region face, and have motivated them to create an initiative that addresses those hardships. As a young girl, Lucia experienced going multiple days without food, going to school hungry and having to rely on relief services. John, originally from South Sudan, lived for years in the Kakuma Refugee camp in the Turkana area and like Lucia, also knows firsthand the devastating effects of hunger. They observed relief organizations offering food, and noted that although it was a valuable respite and addressed the immediate need, it was not a long term fix. Death and illness due to hunger and malnutrition continued as community members struggled to find enough resources to feed their families.

Save the Pastoralist: Lucia Lebasha and John Awiel

Lucia and John are determined to find a more permanent solution

They created an award-winning social entrepreneurship project called Save the Pastoralist Initiative (STPI) which utilizes their knowledge of sustainable agricultural practices gained through their studies at EARTH University. Their project is centered on educating the people of Turkana on arid agricultural practices in order to increase food security. Initially, Save the Pastoralist began as an educational communications effort, writing and posting agricultural articles online in local newsletters, and on their blog and Facebook page. However, wanting to take the initiative to the next level, they have now embarked on the establishment of a demonstration farm in Lodwar, the economic centre of the region.

Photo: Lucia Lebasha. The land which Lucia has been given to initiate her model farm.

Their goal with the demonstration farm is to offer a place where traditional pastoralists can come to learn agricultural practices. STPI also intends to educate young people about the benefits of agriculture by inviting local schools to visit the farm, since agriculture is not included in their curriculum. Foodstuffs grown on the farm will be sold to the community at subsidized prices. Lucia and John intend the farm to also serve as a job creator, particularly for Turkana women, who they expect will start their own small farming initiatives once equipped with the knowledge and skills training required.

John explains, “we are not saying [to the Turkana people] that you must stop pastoralism. But we say they can incorporate it with agriculture. So that you can produce your own food. And that was the main thing. We are trying to improve families economically and make them independent.”

Lucia and John entered their project into the Resolution Social Venture Challenge (SVC) held at Baobab Summit: Ghana 2016 in June of this year for MasterCard Foundation university level Scholars. The project was selected as one of 12 semi-finalists and Lucia was able to travel to Accra to attend the Summit and participate further in the challenge. Lucia commendably explained the initiative, demonstrated its potential impact and defended its viability to the panel of judges, and successfully won the Challenge. Lucia became a Resolution Fellow in August of this year, gaining access to seed funding, mentorship, resources and the support of like-minded young leaders.

Lucia comments, “The way of life of the Turkana community is what inspires me. I feel obliged to make a change for the betterment of others and I can only do this through dedicating myself to them. Having lived the Turkana way of life, going to school hungry, spending several nights and days without food, I feel that it is time for me to change that. I am glad that the agricultural knowledge I am learning at EARTH University will help me tackle the food challenges in Turkana.”

Since winning the Resolution SVC, Lucia and John have collaborated with Ateker Women for Peace and Development – a local group which is dedicated to improving the lives of nomadic women. They have also gained access to land offered by a local church, and have obtained technical support from Furrows in the Dessert, an agricultural development initiative where Lucia is currently interning.

Both Lucia and John will have a significant and lasting impact on the lives of those living in Turkana county through their initiative.

This post is the second in a series highlighting winners of the Resolution Social Venture Challenge, which took place earlier this year at the annual Baobab Summit in Ghana for university level Scholars.

Read more about the MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program.