This involved the planned slaughter of 15,000 weak goats and sheep that would not survive the drought. The owner received payment for their livestock, the meat was redistributed amongst the community, and the owner could then take the skin to sell.

Photo: Jane Beesley

The programme was chosen because many animals in the area had already died and many more wouldn't survive. People could no longer sell their animals, or, when they could, their market value had dropped significantly. When these animals died the owners lost their assets and their cash income.

Photo: Jane Beesley

There were a number of reasons why the programme worked so well. According to Josie Buxton, Oxfam's Humanitarian Programme Co-ordinator in Kenya:

  People could turn their livelihood assets, their goats and sheep, into cash, which wasn't dependent on the vagaries of an unfair market, skewed in favour of the buyer.

Photo: Jane Beesley

Lokale Ekulan was one of the participants in the programme.

  When people have lost everything, all their goats and sheep, what can they do? They have lost their livelihood. At least if we have this money from the off-take programme we can try and keep that money to start to restock when things improve.

Photo: Jane Beesley

Another benefit of the programme was that it decreased the pressure on already depleted pasture, and reduced the burden on scarce water resources.

Photo: Jane Beesley

The off-take programme also helped increase the changes of survival for breeeding stock.

Photo: Jane Beesley

Pamela Ataa was another participant in the programme.

  Here at the collection point we can only bring certain animals. The weaker ones can't come here. I could only carry one. Some people are coming 30-40 kms, which can take around seven hours one way. We share the meat and we keep the skins. This is all we have left to sell.

Photo: Jane Beesley