FARMING AND FISHING BRINGS HOPE TO THE LOCALS IN TURKANA,KENYA

Turkana is a county located in the Northern part of Kenya. Which is a region that is vulnerable to disasters, as a result of several years activities that has actually contributed to the under development in the area. Porous borders and conflict over scarce resources of food are some of the issues that top the problems encountered by the residents of the area.

Interventions have been made over the years for a short term approach to save lives, but most cases, the communities have been at a fall back since they are always left vulnerable to the disasters. What the residents of that place actually need is the sustainable local long term development.

The locals have actually decided to come up with a farmers group known as Nawayoi Farmers Co-operative Society. Which has introduced things like irrigation,which has already changed some of the areas that were deemed not to be productive and are actually productive currently.

The fields are now green which spread hope for the locals of having their own source of food instead of importing from other counties and would otherwise be facing starvation and malnutrition. They grow vegetables under green house and open fields , together with maize, which is a staple food of Kenyans when turned into flour, together with fruits are also grown there. When the harvest is out, it is utilized, some shared between the families and to prove that they are actually get more than enough, they sell some to generate cash for them.

The Nawayoi Farmers have been also taught things like Agribusiness, modern farming methods, that has positively increased their output and also built their capacity on business management. The constant drought, the malnutrition cases in the area, together with starvation and all the effects of the unreliable rainfall might be soon be something of the past for the members of the group.

More members of the community have actually been persuaded to try the same methods of farming which involves irrigation, something that has actually improved the availability of food in the area. In Turkana, farming is more practiced by women since it is a pastoral community and men take care of the livestock in the area. Which sometimes they can be swept with death due to unavailability of enough water and pasture for the animals. The group members are actually also dominated by women. Generally, women have outnumbered the men in the nationwide population in Kenya.

Another method of surviving that the locals actually adapted to is fishing. Something that has generated them more income. Since their fish is more affordable to many and it is supplied locally and to also other counties. Kenyans from the lakeside which is the Nyanza part, bordering Lake Victoria consume fish from Lake Turkana since it is available in plenty and affordable compared to what is in Lake Victoria.

Fish farming has actually brought much development in the area. Turkana is also a place that attracts tourists since foreigners are always curious to learn more about their culture.