This is Sabina Kaarling at Milima Tatu, Takaana.
"It [the drought] has caused a lot of suffering and people are facing a lot of distress. All that we depended on is depleted and there is little left to rely on. Compared to other times we’d always have a little something to rely on… but now everything has died. Even if the rains come now it cannot help us as the livestock is finished or lost.
"This community is like a failed community. Livestock was it’s income, it paid school fees… but now it’s finished and we’re wondering what is going to happen."
Photo: Jane Beesley
Lokaala Lopunpuno, has brougth his animals to the Kaikor waterpoint.
"I’ve come from the hills… there’s no water there. It takes 7-8 hours to get here. I come every two days. Now I have only some sheep left all the goats died… and I don’t know how long they will survive. Sometimes I go three days without eating anything."
Photo: Jane Beesley
Cattle gather round the Oxfam vehicle as the sound of the engine is like that of a generator pumping water.
Photo: Jane Beesley
Kulai Dagane at a waterpoint in Wajir where the council is bringing in water by tanker. Oxfam has constructed a water tank in the village and rehabiliated the council's water tankers.
"There are a lot of problems here the worst is the shortage of water… the thirst, thirst, thirst.
"If this [trucked] water weren’t here we would have to migrate. It’s the hope of the truck coming that keeps us here… and there is a little dry pasture not far away for the camels… though not for the goats. Not many families with animals are here now."
Photo: Jane Beesley
Markab Abdi Elmi collecting water that has been tankered by the council. Oxfam constructed a water tank in the village and rehabiliated the council's water tankers.
"We are allowed two jerry cans at 10/- per can…40 litres of water [when Oxfam tankers water there are no charges to the beneficiaries] , from here. I’ll use the water for the children, my husband and myself and will share a little with the goats – but what can you do? I have very few goats and they are too weak… I have to share some of what we have with them to try and keep them alive. There are eight of us in my househol – six children, my husband and myself."
Photo: Jane Beesley
Jerry cans left in the trees ready for an Oxfam water tankering distribution 20 kms from Hadado, Wajir.
Photo: Jane Beesley
Classroom at Buma Primary School, Wajir, where we interviewed students about the drought. They were all children of pastoralists whose families were far away seaching for pasture and water. Education here depends on the survival of the livestock.
Photo: Jane Beesley
300 thirsty camels take on water at the Eldas water troughs, Wajir.
Photo: Jane Beesley
Oxfam is running a 3-month de-stocking programme, where 2,400 sheep/goats are slaughtered for cash. On the day this photo was taken 131 animals were killed.
The community identifies animals that are then checked by a vet. If they are less than 4-months old, or sick, or too emaciated they are rejected. A public health inspector checks each carcass and rejects those with disease or infections.
Photo: Jane Beesley
Hussain Mohammed leaving with his goat, Sambar, that was rejected by the vet.
"I’ve come 25kms. I brought three animals… two have been accepted for de-stocking but the vet rejected this one. I think it’s a good programme and it will help, as I’ll be getting money from an animal, which would have died leaving me with nothing. I’ll use the money to buy food and water.
God knows what I would have done... Because of the drought it’s had little to eat and has become emaciated, and now it’s too sick for de-stocking."
Photo: Jane Beesley
Solar panel brought through funds raised by a water committee in Wajir. See blog -
How sunlight can help during drought
Osman Omar, Chairman of the committee spoke of the current situation:
"Now north Wajir has a major problem with lack of water and the majority of the population are now depending on this water hole. Trucks are coming here and collecting water and then going far. Before it was only this community that was getting water from here, now it’s serving the whole constituency.
At the moment we are thinking of moving to agriculture and how to serve other communities with water."
Photo: Jane Beesley
Oxfam driver repairing a flat tyre on route to Wajir.
Photo: Jane Beesley
