December, 2016 El Besso, North Horr Sub-county- Iya Qoto, a female herder residing in one of the outskirts far flang villages of El Besso, 30 kilometres from El Besso watering point and 70 kilometres from North Horr town of North Horr Sub-county, had made it a routine every four days a week at 3.00am to start her journey to the closest water point, El Besso. Each day she set out on a journey to the borehole, the trekking distance was too far that it lasted two days before reaching the water point. Her worst days were when there was a mechanical break down. She could camp by the water point with hopes that it would be repaired soon. “One day I got to the borehole, my animals and I were stranded with no idea of where to turn to. Days on end I stayed by the borehole hoping the repair…
Access to safe water and sanitation are essential to human health, environmental sustainability and economic prosperity. For Marsabit County to get to the desired level, great strides have to be made by different stakeholders including embracing the communal pre-paid water meters which ensures equitable access to water regardless of your social standing in the community, besides of course boosting revenue collection from water sale. With prepaid metering, the consumer is in control of their own water usage, as they decide how much water to purchase. The prepaid metering solution ensures that the consumer can now budget for their water bill as per their purchasing power. PACIDA through Maji Milele Limited with funding from USAID through Food for the Hungry has come up with an innovative sustainable solution to addressing better access to water in at least three locations within Marsabit County through installation of communal pre-paid water meters at water…
With their limited food stocks from 2018 harvest already depleted and temperatures soaring up to 40 Degrees Celsius during the day, there is an urgent need for food to regain energy and clean water to cushion the dire effects of dehydration,” says Adhe Wario, Programme Director for Pastoralist Community Initiative and Development Assistance (PACIDA) in Kenya. In Yaa Galbo, one of the zones that has been hardest hit by the drought, hundreds of households are surviving on one meal a day. Women and children are trekking over 20kms every day in search of water. An estimated 400 families are in need of emergency assistance. In Namarei, Laisamis Sub-county, people have resigned to drinking contaminated water from an outdated water pan which is also shared with livestock heightening the risks of spreading of water-borne diseases like cholera and dysentery. “In the past, we used to ave some food reserves that kept…
Our 2018 report highlights some of our key achievements in line with our mission to improve the well-being of vulnerable arid and semi-arid land communities through sustainable development. Download report here: Annual Report 2018 Narrative Annual Report 2018 Operational Outputs Lack of adequate water was the main constraint to sustainable livelihoods in many parts of the county. In other areas, rapid run-off during the 2018 rainy season resulted into high proportion going to waste or becoming destructive. Conflict further limited livelihood options and shared management of natural resources, compounding vulnerability and decreasing resilience. “Conflict resolution and peaceful coexistence are integral components of PACIDA’s thematic programming in northern Kenya. This includes border counties with hardship and volatile environments as well as Ethiopia’s southern regions,” says Patrick Katelo, Executive Director of PACIDA. PACIDA reached 480,000 livestock during mass deworming and treatment in Marsabit County. In Illeret, the first ever butchery…
“I always have business ideas. But capital has always been the biggest obstacle. I used to sell water to make a living. The income barely met daily family needs. Now I am running a shop and I have high hopes as business is good,” says Nashere Loomaabok, a member of Ariyon women’s group in Illeret, Marsabit County of Kenya. A mother of 7 children, she says she is lucky to be able to feed her family even as the drought is affecting the rest of her community members. With an elderly husband who is mostly resting, she has been left to cater for the needs of the family. Her children are of between three and 15 years old. Four of them are attending school with one in secondary school away from Illeret and three in primary schools. The others are yet to be enrolled in school. Ileret is located in…
“If there was no peace among the communities of Marsabit County, there will be no education and no future for us,” this was the message from pupils during an inter-school peace initiative held in 2018. The event was held at Tiigo School brought together pupils from six schools. Schools from Borana community included Elle Borr, Rawan and Funan Qumbi primary from Sololo Sub County. Three schools from the Gabbra community included Turbi Nomadic Girls, Turbi Primary and Tiigo School from North Horr Sub County. Each school was represented by about 30 pupils from their peace club membership. The theme of the day was “I am not only a child, but a peace maker too”. The event was officially launched by the Sub County Deputy Commissioner. Others in attendants included ward administrator, chiefs, and county peace cohesion and integration officer. Also present were teachers who served as peace club patrons. The pupil…
PACIDA has embarked on a coordinated emergency response programme reaching drought-affected communities in Marsabit County with life-saving interventions and mitigating the harsh effects of drought and scarcity of water and food. “We are on the ground, our emergency response teams are providing food, water, cash support and mobilizing other stakeholders to join in the efforts. We want to ensure that no human life is lost in Marsabit County due to drought,” says Wario Guyo, PACIDA’s Programme Director. Food distribution to vulnerable communities To curb malnutrition, PACIDA is distributing food directly to the affected communities in North Horr, Moyale and Laisamis sub counties. Food items distributed include maize flour, wheat flour, cooking oil, beans and peas. Targeted households include the most vulnerable groups such as women, children, the elderly and people with disabilities. Water provision PACIDA’s water facilities in Laisamis, Loglogo, Marsabit town, Bubisa, Burgabo and other locations are now critical…
“We expect to harvest 60 bales of hay per acre from the rehabilitated rangeland. We are reaping double benefit by selling a kilo of grass seeds at 1,000 Kenya Shillings (10 US Dollars) while a bale of hay weighing 8kg is sold at 300 Kenya Shillings,” says Fatuma, chairperson of Jaldesa Sauti Moja fodder production group from Badassa. Jaldesa Sauti Moja Women group at Badassa was identified and supported through training, capital, fencing materials and grass seeds. This is one of the most proactive fodder production groups in Marsabit County with 40 active members who are very passionate about fodder production. A total of 675 kilograms of grass seeds were distributed to 115 willing members from three different groups. The group has already started harvesting seeds and hay. Fodder is available for sale and use during stress period. “We harvest the grass and remove the seeds before we prepare them…
“My life has stabilized significantly since the cash support activity began. I have paid my debts and I am able to buy food and water form my family,” says Roba Wario (28) who is one of the beneficiaries of emergency cash transfer to vulnerable and drought-affected communities of Marsabit County of Kenya. Roba is a mother of three children. She was born in Bubisa Ward of Marsabit County, this is where she still lives. She does not have any formal job. Her children need food but she can only afford one meal a day for them. She has received a cash allocation of 3,000 Shillings (equivalent of about 30 US Dollars). “Without the cash support, we would be sleeping hungry,” she says. On this day, she has bought maize flour at 70 shillings (0.7 US dollar) and pasta at 70 shillings. She proceeded to prepare ugali, a local delicacy made…
Local communities in northern Kenya are adapting to climate change through different approaches in order to mitigate its harmful effects demonstrated most visibly through frequent cycles of drought in East Africa. Along the border of Kenya and Ethiopia, communities of Dassanach are reshaping their adaptation strategy by embracing a unique breed of goats that is more resilient to the changing conditions. The Galla goat, a strong breed of goat has a reputation for surviving droughts thanks to its higher resistance to opportunistic diseases that eliminate ordinary goats due to weakening body immune system. Compared to ordinary goats living among the Dassanach communities of Kenya and Ethiopia, the Galla breed boasts higher yield of milk.Pastoralist Community Initiative and Development Assistance (PACIDA) has partnered with Kenya and Ethiopia governments through the livestock departments and Social Development Coordinating Office (SDCO) to provide communities of Dassanaach with 198 Galla goats. The aim of the…