KAJIADO, Kenya (AP) — The blood, milk and meat of cattle have lengthy been staple meals for Maasai pastoralists in Kenya, maybe the nation’s most recognizable neighborhood. However local weather change is forcing the Maasai to ponder a really totally different dish: fish.

A current yearslong drought in Kenya killed hundreds of thousands of livestock. Whereas Maasai elders hope the troubles are momentary and they’ll be capable of resume conventional lives as herders, some are adjusting to a form of meals they’d by no means discovered to take pleasure in.

Fish had been lengthy seen as a part of the snake household because of their form, and thus inedible. Their odor had been disagreeable and odd to the Maasai, who name semi-arid areas residence.

“We by no means used to stay close to lakes and oceans, so fish was very overseas for us,” mentioned Maasai Council of Elders chair Kelena ole Nchoi. “We grew up seeing our elders eat cows and goats.”

Among the many Maasai and different pastoralists in Kenya and wider East Africa — just like the Samburu, Somali and Borana — cattle are additionally a standing image, a supply of wealth and a part of key cultural occasions like marriages as a part of dowries.

However the extended drought in a lot of East Africa left carcasses of emaciated cattle strewn throughout huge dry lands. In early 2023, the Kenya Nationwide Drought Administration Authority mentioned 2.6 million livestock had died, with an estimated worth of 226 billion Kenya shillings ($1.75 billion).

In the meantime, rising urbanization and a rising inhabitants have lowered obtainable grazing land, forcing pastoralists to undertake new methods to outlive.

In Kajiado county close to Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, the native authorities is supporting fish farming initiatives for pastoralists — and inspiring them to eat fish, too.

Like many different Maasai girls, Charity Oltinki beforehand engaged in beadwork and her husband was in control of the household’s herd. However the drought killed virtually 100 of their cows, and solely 50 sheep of their 300-strong flock survived.

“The lands had been left naked, with nothing for the cows to graze on,” Oltinki mentioned. “So I made a decision to put aside a bit of land to rear fish and monitor how they’d carry out.”

The county authorities provided her with pond liners, tilapia fish fingerlings and a few feed. Utilizing her financial savings from membership in a cooperative society, Oltinki secured a mortgage and had a effectively dug to ease the problem of water shortage.

After six months, the primary batch of tons of of fish was harvested, with the biggest promoting for as much as 300 Kenyan shillings every ($2.30).

One other member of the Maasai neighborhood in Kajiado, Philipa Leiyan, began farming fish along with retaining livestock.

“When the county authorities launched us to this fish farming challenge, we gladly obtained it as a result of we thought of it as a substitute supply of livelihood,” Leiyan mentioned.

The Kajiado authorities’s initiative began in 2014 and at the moment works with 600 pastoralists to assist diversify their incomes and present a buffer in opposition to the consequences of local weather change. There was preliminary reluctance, however the variety of individuals has grown from about 250 earlier than the drought started in 2022.

“This system has seen some significance,” mentioned Benson Siangot, director of fisheries in Kajiado county, including that it additionally addresses problems with meals insecurity and malnutrition.

The Maasai share their love for cattle with the Samburu, an ethnic group that lives in arid and semi-arid areas of northern Kenya and speaks a dialect of the Maa language that the Maasai converse.

The current drought has compelled the Samburu to look past cattle, too — to camels.

In Lekiji village, Abdulahi Mohamud now takes care of 20 camels. The 65-year-old father of 15 misplaced his 30 cattle through the drought and determined to strive an animal extra suited to lengthy dry spells.

“Camels are simpler to rear as they primarily feed on shrubs and might survive in harsher circumstances,” he mentioned. “When the pasture dries out, all of the cattle die.”

In keeping with Mohamud, a small camel will be purchased for 80,000 to 100,000 Kenyan shillings ($600 to $770) whereas the worth of a cow ranges from 20,000 to 40,000 ($154 to $300).

He noticed the camel’s resilience as definitely worth the funding.

In an unlimited grazing space close to Mohamud, 26-year-old Musalia Piti taken care of his father’s 60 camels. The household misplaced 50 cattle through the drought and determined to spend money on camels that they’ll promote each time they want cattle for conventional ceremonies. Cows among the many Samburu are used for dowries.

“You need to do no matter it takes to search out cattle for wedding ceremony ceremonies, despite the fact that our herds could also be smaller these days,” mentioned Lesian Ole Sempere, a 59-year-old Samburu elder. Providing a cow as a present to a potential bride’s dad and mom encourages them to declare their daughter as “your official spouse,” he mentioned.

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Tiro reported from Samburu county, Kenya, and Musambi from Nairobi, Kenya.

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