By Tebby Otieno
“Life was really good before COVID-19. Any person who wanted to support women’s pastoralists came up with projects like milk coolants so that when we milk our cows we have a place to take the milk and from there it could be sold to these different companies.”
This is a reflection of a woman in Kajiado County, counting multiple losses as a result of the global pandemic, Coronavirus. Born and bred in the area, Kimcy Nasieku, a pastoralist woman cannot stop imagining how the good life has turned to suffering.
“We also had food when the economy was good and could not see our children go hungry. Our animals were doing great but now COVID-19 came and all these milk coolants became useless to us, we started pouring milk” She remembers.
Nasieku had to adjust in order for her to observe the COVID-19 containment rules. This she did by building a temporary shelter for her livestock in a smaller piece of land in Kajiado town.
“I had to move my animals from that bigger land back to a place where I can see them and take care for them daily. We try to manage although the environment is not good for them, but at least I got to save on deaths and theft” Narrates Nasieku.
Before the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, Nasieku used to have her livestock in her rural land. This could not be possible with the restriction of movement introduced in Kenya.
“Again we believe in moving our animals during drought” She says “I could not be able to go to Taveta, Makueni, Tsavo or any other far places where there is pasture. So what do we do, it down with our animals and suffer? It was very challenging to us.” She adds
Kimcy Nasieku is also director at a Fukuza Njaa Initiative in Kajiado County. She says organizations which used to provide food aid stopped, leaving many families that benefited from the initiative going hungry.
“We suffered in terms of hunger, there was no food and drought came so there was no milk. Our animals got so weak, we could not sell at the market rates; the markets were locked so we just sat there and ate the hides and skins because that is the only thing we could eat” Laments Nasieku.
Being a wife and a mother of three, Nasieku like any other woman has to provide for her family. She has been used to selling part of her livestock to raise money. However, this was not possible with the closure of markets and lack of freedom to search greener pasture which has since being lifted.
“You cannot sell your animals. They are so weak and emaciated. So do you wait for the dead ones or you get it on the cooking pot and cook for your children” She says as she laughs with her tears in her eyes that are an open indication of her frustrations and struggles. She adds that her goats are progressing but are really thin.
“So when you slaughter such an animal you do not get the meat part of it except borne and the skin. I have a goat I took to the market but returned it here, I could not sell it because there was no one to buy”
Nasieku is not alone. At the opposite side of the town is Naomy Mulata, an elderly pastoralist woman who doubles selling Maasai traditional attires and ornaments. She was forced to close her shop situated in Kajiado town and go back to her village, where she was entirely dependent on her livestock.
“When we were told to stay at home, we closed our shops and stayed home without doing business. We spent many days without food with our children.” Recalls Mulata.
She had to find a solution to save her family from hunger. Together with her husband, they made several phone calls enquiring from their then customers if they could still buy.
After multiple persuasions, they had to walk long distances up to the forests. This is where they could meet with the willing buyer, at least to exchange a goat with little cash to feed families back home.
“We used to sell in the forests because markets were closed. So we could make calls to customers. It was not easy because first I had to convince my husband to agree that we sell a goat to help children. A goat that we used to sell at 5, 000 shillings they used to pay 3,500 shillings and I sold around five.” Mulata also recalls how she used to wear out after a long journey to the forest and back home.
“You know walking a long distance and you are a woman is not easy but because I needed to feed my family I had to do it. I was always with my husband who offered my security in the forest. Before drought, my children entirely depended on milk after market was closed” She narrates.
A research conducted by Mercy Corps in Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda and South Sudan countries on the impact of COVID-19 on livestock – based economies indicated a reduction in animal sales, following measures to minimize spread of COVID-19.
“Between March and April 2020, livestock sales reduced 40-50 percent compared to the months immediately preceding COVID-19 lockdowns. Mercy Corps’ assessment found livestock prices for cattle, sheep, goats and camels have declined in feeder and secondary markets since March 2020, as a result of restrictions on exports and transportation challenges” Reads part of the Mercy Corps online data.
A part from hunger and lack of greener pasture, an increase in gender based violence cases have also been on the rise. Secretary General of Kajiado County Congress, an advocacy group advocating for the rights of Kajiado County confirmed. Kimcy Nasieku, who is also a Human Rights Activist, condemns cultural practices that silences victims of sexual gender based violence.
“The same people we were left with at home are the same ones infringing on our rights and that was to us women the most challenging part. I am a Maasai woman but I do not believe in some of the cultural practices. We can take the positive ones but these negative ones, mostly when it comes to defiling our children, beating our women no” She notes.
Boarding schools have been saving and shielding girls from many of these issues. The many government programs provide girls with sanitary pads, where they might not have access to with closure of schools. Nasieku says all school girls who are currently expectant should be allowed back to school with the reopening plans underway.
“When schools reopen now we are going to see empty classes in this aspect that our girls are heavily pregnant. On the other hand, we do not have school fees so our options remain to stay back at home” She adds “Our girls should be allowed to attend schools some of them got pregnant while looking for livelihoods for food to eat, sanitary towels so you do not just judge her wrongly because she is pregnant.” County Director of veterinary Services Kajiado County, Jackton Achola confirms how closure of Markets affected pastoralists in the area.
“We have what we call a livestock market. During the COVID-19 most of our livestock in the markets were closed, so farmers could not access markets for their livestock and that seriously affected them, because actually they rely on this livestock maybe to support other activities especially the food, hospitals and school fees although schools were closed so COVID-19 seriously affected the livestock markets” Achola confirms.
He further encourages pastoralists to access markets. Achola reminds them to observe measures given by the health ministry officials so that markets do not close again, even as Coronavirus cases increase.
