Kivulini Trust, Kenya works with pastoralists. 

The situation is bad because the community elders

felt that they were not involved in some of the

decision making on issues affecting the community

and that their leaders don’t involve them in

enhancing community coexistence, natural

resource management and other development

issues. Fortunately, the leaders from the county

government agreed to involve elders in all aspect

of development.  Kivulini conducted a participatory

and interactive community elders meeting among

five communities in Marsabit county to discuss

on issues of local governance/traditional

customary law and sharing of indigenous

knowledge.  The beneficiaries were 200 men,

350 women, 200 youth and 1500 children. 

Community elders from different tribes and

leaders from county government agreed to work

together as a team and address challenges facing

the community in future.

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IMPACTS AND CHALLENGES

As a result of the community meetings there is improved community cohesion, enhanced communication and more respect for traditional/indigenous knowledge.  Already this is seen to improve local governance systems, support women and empowerment and reinvigorate the transmission of traditional knowledge to younger people.  The county has arid and semi-arid conditions, however, and as a measure of community resilience, the community agreed to adopt community protocols to manage the available resources so that pastoralist communities and livestock could remain healthy during dry seasons.

 

FUTURE

The concept of BCP was introduced, and now the work will start to articulate and document BCPs and get them endorsed by government.  The meeting agreed that proper and coordinated community elders’ session will be conducted quarterly to enable them discuss issues whenever they arise.

 

Contributed by Kivulini Trust Staff