A
real-life cry in the desert; the plea of the Maikona Village after Rain
destroys their livelihood
May
13th, 2017
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| Devastation after torrential rain - Photo courtesy of: Tumal Orto |
I met him during the Indigenous Terra Madre Conference,
in Shillong, India in 2015. As an Indigenous Human Rights Advocate and
Presenter my responsibility there was to educate on the United Nations 2030
Sustainable Development Agenda, give a briefing on the then upcoming Climate
Change Conference of the Parties in Paris, France, and about the United Nations
Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Galdibe Tumal Orto,59, a pastoralist from the Maikona
Village located in the heart of the Chalbi Desert in Marsabit County, in
Northern Kenya, was one of the attendees. This gentleman with a personality, eyes
and smile that brighten the entire room was an active participant in our
audience. As we continued speaking during our stay in India, I learned about
his community, his desire to help it prosper and the great significance of the
livestock in a pastoralists’ life. To those who have not been exposed to this
way of life, when hearing or reading about livestock, they pretty much imagine
someone just gracing their animals in the beautiful green fields and perhaps
even images of the Norwegian fairy tale of the “Three Billy Goats Gruff”. They do not connect it to a way of Sustenance
for entire families, do not even fathom the fact that many at times have to
walk long distances to grace their animals in a semi-arid terrain, or that it
brings the opportunity to Education to the pastoralists’ children nor do they see
it as the one factor that could either make or mar their lives forever. As said
the World Bank Country Director for Kenya, Diarietou Gaye, back on July 30th,
2016 in a statement about a pastoralists’ project from the World Bank: “…livestock…is
the single most important asset and the key source of food and income for
pastoralists.”
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| Supplying water for their livestock during severe drought times ~ Photo courtesy of: Tumal Orto |
Just about a week ago, I received a note from Tumal. I
was super happy to hear from him, but very saddened to see under which
circumstances this Indigenous brother had contacted me. As I read him, I could
picture his face with the signs of worry and concern, and through his message I
was missing that shine and smile that had characterized him when we met. Very
little have we heard or read on the Western Hemisphere about the drought and
the struggles of the pastoralists, and now about the torrential rains that have
impacted the lives of hundreds of families since the end of April and beginning
of May and where thousands of livestock have perished washed away by the floods,
schools and homes submerged under water, and with very little help to cover the
magnitude of this crisis and ensure their survival.
Tumal comes from a family who for generations have
been Indigenous Mobile Pastoralists dating back to 1780. As a Pastoralist, he
supports a family of six, with three children in College and one in High
School. As a father of three daughters, Tumal’s main priority is their
Education. Most girls in these communities do not go beyond 8th
grade, and are exposed to Early Marriage and Female Genital Mutilation, which
challenge the opportunities for a girl’s education, among other things. As a
Father, with the proceeds from the sales of goats, sheep, and camels he has supported
the family’s daily living and his children’s education. During the drought
between 2016 and 2017, they did everything possible to keep their animals
alive. Now these torrential rains have compromised their livelihood and as you
can see, even his children’s education is at risk. Earlier this month, Tumal
Orto, like many other pastoralists in the area, personally lost 225
Goats/sheep, 2 donkeys and 3 camels, and his total losses equate to approximately
$30,000.00 USD. Other pastoralists have lost about 20,000 goats which equate to
about $800,000.00 USD. Most of the animals that have survived are weak. About
100 households of Indigenous Mobile Pastoralists have been affected in this
area. It is believed that in the next few years the Gabbra Indigenous Peoples
are likely to become Climate Refugees.
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| Pastoralists gracing their livestock - Photo courtesy of: Tumal Orto |
This community is not asking for much, but desperately
needs assistance. It is their hope to reach out to the hearts of well-wishers,
institutions, organizations, and the international community and mechanisms who
could help fund a Restocking Program for these 100 households by supplying each
household with 50 sheep/goats and 1 loading donkey, for a household total of
$2,000.00 and a grand total of $200,000.00 for the village. While these numbers
may not represent a significant amount of money for people in developed
countries, in this case, it represents way more than goats and a donkey; it is
sustenance, a way of life, education, it is a legacy, and literally, their own CULTURAL
SURVIVAL!
For more information on how you can help, please
contact: Tai Pelli - taipelli21@gmail.com
Galdibe Tumal Orto – tumalorto@yahoo.com
Tai
Pelli is a Taíno International Advocate on Indigenous, Environmental, Treaty and
Human Rights.
