Power in indigenous solutions

Global learning challenge addresses the question: How can we make learning more inclusive and equitable, while improving outcomes for all learners? Low enrollment and drop out of children from schools in Turkana County is the problem addressed. The status of education in Turkana County is typical of all Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASAL) Counties of Kenya characterized by low enrolment levels, high dropout rates and poor infrastructural development. The government has invested substantial amounts and human resources directed towards compulsory free primary education in an effort to promote pupils' performance, gender equality and provision of equal opportunities to all Kenyan children despite regional disparity in the face of the social, technological and curriculum innovation. According to Turkana County integrated plan, children in Turkana (6-13 age group) are less likely to access primary education, with only 50% enrolled, compared to the national average of 92.5%. Overall school attendance for children in the County is at 39%, which is far below the national school attendance of 70.9%. Many children drop out of school due to poverty. Other factors include teenage pregnancy, household obligations and inadequate infrastructure and insecurity. The population of Turkana County according to the 2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census, was 926,976 people with a population density of 14 people per Km2. Many children drop out of school due to poverty, inadequate infrastructure and conflict. 

Indigenous economic empowerment and post-conflict reconstruction in Turkana County. Strengthening indigenous entrepreneurship and post-conflict reconstruction is the key to economic prosperity in Turkana. Leaders of indigenous people have propelled programmes directed at improving their economy for purposes of reconstructing their societies and reestablishing their supremacy upon societal owned resources which calls for expert involvement. Indigenous entrepreneurship is being used to secure indigenous communities means of subsistence and development. Indigenous entrepreneurship is a business where a people’s culture and way of life and contemporary business concepts, successfully blend and are in harmony both positively contributing to the enterprise in income. Violent pastoral conflict has taken political, commercial and traditional forms involving overlap of actors, varying motives and outcomes. The promoters of commercial and/or political conflict mainly hide behind the mask of ‘traditional’ resource-based wars and the lawlessness of pastoral communities. Turkana County is rated highly in conflict incidences due to proximity to Ethiopia, Uganda, Sudan and aggressive neighbouring Counties such as Baringo, Samburu, Pokot and Wajir. Post-conflict reconstruction is the physical reconstruction of destroyed societies; economy, legal framework, infrastructure (roads and railways, communication, power generation), rebuilding of social capital, credit provision, technical support, reinforcing conflict mitigation, developing or reconstituting organizational capability for managing and governance, and attitudinal change encouraging globalization and diversity.

In Kenya “the arid and semi-arid lands (ASAL) cover approximately 467,200km2, which is 80% of the country’s total landmass including Turkana County”. Turkana County is situated in North Western Kenya. It neighbours Counties of Marsabit and Wajir. In the North Rift is Kerio Valley bordered by the Elgeyo escarpment on the West, Tugen hills to the East and Tiatiy hills to the North. It covers an area of sixty-eight thousand, six hundred and eighty decimal three (68,680.3) square kilometers with a population of 926,976 people and 164,519 households (Kenya Population and Housing Census, 2019). According to KNBS (2020) Turkana County was the second least developed County (second poorest) associated with the harsh climatic conditions experienced in the region. The County has limited opportunities for education, health, water, investment and trade and institutional support. The Turkana community practice subsistence pastoralism, land is communally owned where individual ownership is in-existence and not recommended. Lack of knowledge on the property rights, institutional implementation and inter-tribal conflict adversely affect economic growth. Turkana is regarded as among most insecure Counties due to propinquity to Uganda, Sudan, Ethiopia and experiences inter-tribal wars from aggressive neighbouring Counties such as Baringo, Samburu, Pokot and Wajir. The Turkana practice nomadic pastoralism economy dating to 9000 years including goats, sheep, cattle, donkeys and camels and records one of the highest numbers of livestock in Kenya. Their migratory movements are characterized of rural/rural migration (nomadism), others are residents in towns and small villages and settlements. Our aim is to stimulate the capacity of local enterprises, enabling them to participate in the global economy, while they achieve development and raising living standards of the people. Turkana requires an all-inclusive approach to rebuilding that incorporate economic development, micro and small enterprise growth. The programme include; entrepreneurial education, small businesses development and assistance for the entrepreneur to make entrepreneurial activity possible.

The team leader’s expertise in business administration is underpinned by years of research, analysis, and strategic thinking, acquired through her doctoral studies (conducted in Turkana County) and further honed through hands-on experience. Her entrepreneurial acumen, fostered through her MSc in Entrepreneurship, equips her with the creativity and innovative thinking essential for navigating the dynamic landscape of modern business. The team leader therefore has the experience, relationships, data, and knowledge that are essential for developing solutions with measurable and sustainable impact in Turkana County. We have designed our intervention to target mainly pastoralism since livestock is the source of Turkana wealth earning revenue from the sale of livestock or livestock products. Rarely do the Turkana sell livestock for the aim is to enlarge their herd size for prestige and meeting customary obligations. Livestock accumulation is a wealth asset used for dowry and/or as drought coping strategy. The aim is to maintain sufficient breeding stock to rebuild their herd after drought. Only a very small portion of the livestock trade in Turkana is exported outside the County. Pastoralists only sell their animals to meet urgent household needs usually food, clothing and school fees, and they will sell cattle in case of an extreme need. The principal mode of exchange is barter where the Somali traders bring food and tobacco and exchange for cattle. The aim of our intervention is to make indigenous pastoralism in Turkana County as lucrative ventures with global competitiveness. We will leverage on indigenous knowledge to increase capacity to recover as well as mitigating against natural and man-made problems that may prompt violence.

The team has conducted needs assessment for all micro and small livestock businesses, registered members of the Livestock Marketing Association (LMA) in Turkana County. The team selected the main livestock markets in Turkana County; Lokichogio, Kakuma, Lodwar and Lokichar where the needs assessment was conducted. Each of these markets has a Livestock Marketing Association (LMA) under the main umbrella of the County Livestock Marketing Council (CLMC). The team has developed training manuals for enterprise development and business planning.

To what extent the indigenous people who are directly involved in conflict have developed entrepreneurship contributing to economic development curtailing any further conflict in Turkana County is an issue of our concern. Indigenous entrepreneurship activities, County and national government and multilateral interventions as post-conflict reconstructive mechanisms in Turkana County are key to putting the necessary infrastructure together enhancing development, eradicating poverty and thus promoting education. Post-conflict terrains are complicated and requires powerful networks to actualize reconstruction by bringing the different players on board and most especially considering the needs of the affected. The process requires exposure in the media and at conferences that the Solve team can provide. It is our idea that a monitoring and evaluation study ought to be conducted to understand the position of indigenous entrepreneurship and reconstruction in Turkana County. Our aim is to receive leadership coaching, connect & network with impressive peers that act as a trusted support group, offering inspiration and guidance. Indigenous entrepreneurship is downplayed at the expense of relief aid while conflict ‘management’ perceived ‘normal’ has superseded the important role of post-conflict reconstruction. Activities have taken the approach of charity, mission and relief, exposing the people to neglect and marginalization. Borrowing from Canada, Aboriginal entrepreneurship entrenched in self-determination is the key to achieving prosperity (eradication of income poverty, poor health and low education).  Our aim is to promote indigenous private companies as best suited to work with the international aid agencies for they best understand the local environment and know what to prioritize, which we cannot do without partnerships. 

Local (indigenous) knowledge is a strategic asset in strengthening people against isolation and promoting development especially after conflict an approach adopted by the team. Reconstruction of infrastructure, social and economic structure of the societies provides the necessary determinants for entrepreneurship to create entrepreneurship capital. Multinational institutions contribution to post-conflict reconstruction as complementing initiatives of transnational relief interventions has been over stated at the detriment of indigenous entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship can only escalate as relief flow continues to decline. Promoting indigenous entrepreneurship will reduce multinational commercial rivalry in post-conflict zones ending the perception that they are only interested in commercial gains and therefore may agitate violence behind the scenes to “create businesses for themselves”. Putting the necessary infrastructure (post-conflict reconstruction) in place after conflict and economic development among indigenous populations should be established on indigenous entrepreneurship, supported by multilateral organizations, County and national governments.

Low enrollment and drop out of children from schools in Turkana County is the problem addressed. Many children drop out of school due to poverty and conflict. There is a challenge in economic development in Turkana County. The performance of economic development indicators (income, life expectancy, mortality rate and education) are performing poorly in this County. For decades as a country, we have dwelt on conflict management neglecting the continuum adopted by the international community (United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO, 2004) of emergency relief, rehabilitation and development in war torn areas making the regions be continuously at war. In Turkana County, conflict however, has continued for decades without rehabilitation and development only promoting relief work and conflict management hindering post-conflict reconstruction and development (Ogutu, 2022). The link between reconstruction efforts and economic development trends in Africa has not been sufficiently thought through. Scholars (Ogutu, 2022) have established that indigenous entrepreneurship and post-conflict reconstruction have great influence on economic development indicators (income, life expectancy, mortality rate and education). Promoting indigenous entrepreneurship and post-conflict reconstruction (necessary infrastructure) will automatically influence economic development indicators, in this case education.

• Ensure significant mobilization of resources (County & national governments and the international community) in order to provide adequate and predictable means for infrastructural development to support indigenous entrepreneurship. through: Channeling official development assistance grants from donors that focus on poverty reduction into the region; Proportion of total national government spending on education; Mobilize additional financial resources for Turkana County from multiple sources for infrastructural development
• To strengthen domestic resource mobilization, through indigenous entrepreneurship, national and multilateral support in Turkana County, to improve the fiscal policies and other revenue collection: innovative business development based on indigenous knowledge with dynamic capabilities that are unique and globally competitive
• By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality    early childhood, primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes through, substantial increased supply of qualified teachers in the County: Create a strong degree of cohesion amongst the Turkana such that at the event of disruption they rebuild themselves on traditional and culturally grounded foundation
• By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development: ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education in Turkana County
• Promote the development, transfer, dissemination and diffusion of environmentally sound technologies (pastoralist based) in Turkana County on concessional and preferential terms, as mutually agreed: through increasing global export share of livestock: Enhance international support for implementing effective and targeted capacity-building in Turkana County to support County development plans; Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and community partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships

Indigenous knowledge and practices that we adopted and promote

• Trans-human migration enables pastoralists to adapt to changing vegetation patterns in their environment. Herders take the livestock to the shared grazing area before the onset of droughts and they return at the start of rains.
• Splitting part of the herd into smaller groups and moving some of them to new areas prevent overgrazing. Calves and lactating cows are left as the other part of the herd is moved. This reduces competition for limited pasture resources and thus ensuring that calves and lactating cows which cannot walk long distances thrive.
• Increasing herd size in wet seasons helps to cushion against losses during dry periods.
• Altering herd composition between grazers and browsers also allows pastoralists to make use of varying quality and amount of vegetation available at different times. During wet seasons, grass is plenty and thus they usually stock more of grazers (cows and sheep). In the dry seasons however, grass is scarce and thus browsers like goats and camels thrive well on available trees and shrubs than the grazers.
• Female-dominated herds offset the long calving periods, a characteristic of the indigenous cattle and thus ensure stable milk production.
• During drought seasons, herders graze their cattle at night to escape the intense heat at day time. During the day, both the livestock and herders rest under sheds close to water points. This limited movement during the day enables livestock to optimally utilize the little food available and thus survive in the wake of intense drought.
•  In seasons of surplus forage, pasture and crop residues, stover are conserved for use during the lean period. Harvested maize, millet and sorghum residues and grass is cut, dried and stored on top of trees and will be released in small amounts for livestock use until the wet season. Pastoralists are more likely to conserve pastures since they have incorporated crop production and thus have more crop residues to store.
• Natural salt sources are important to pastoralists. Livestock are taken at least once a week to salt sources whose rocks are rich in minerals. This salt reduces livestock diarrhea which is a symptom of many livestock diseases.
• The practice of rotational grazing allows grass and forage to rejuvenate and prevent overgrazing and land degradation. More sedentary households divide their grazing land into enclosures that animals are allowed to graze rotationally.
• Traditional institutions govern the access and use of communal grazing lands. Grazers and browsers are separated at the shared grounds due to different feed requirements.
• Pastoralists possess and use a wide array of ethno-veterinary practices. They know herbs and trees that can be used to treat different livestock diseases.
• Honey is produced in traditional log hives that are hung under shady trees especially along river banks and other quiet places. Bees have a preference for the traditional log hives made from indigenous trees. The hive is portioned into two compartments to separate the queen from worker bees thus keeping the honey clean.

This solution is being implemented by six full-time staff whose contract specifies hours of work and duties performed. The team includes principal investigator, PI Research, PI Administration, Coordinator, Public Relations officer and Institutional representative. Five part-time research assistants will be engaged to collect data and analyze. In June, 2024 the team will contract a firm of experts in livestock and business modelling to train the implementors.

The problem was identified by the principal investigator in the year 2018 while collecting data on another research undertaken in Turkana County. The motivation behind this undertaking was to find a solution to the high levels of poverty in Turkana County. The performance of economic development indicators (income, life expectancy, mortality rate and education) are performing poorly in this County. According to KNBS (2021), Turkana County was rated as the second poorest County in Kenya, meaning that the County performed poorly in education. With this, the principal investigator embarked on a journey to find a solution. 

We are a team that upholds the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion working together to empower us to do our best. Our principles and values on diversity, equity and inclusion are based on our national values and principles of governance. As a people we promote national unity, sharing and devolution of power, human dignity, equity, inclusiveness, non-discrimination and protection of the marginalized, entrenched in our constitution. My country Kenya is a community of individuals with diverse backgrounds and life experiences, free of discrimination based on ethnic and racial origin, gender identity, socio-economic status, disabilities or religious belief. Article 10 of Kenya constitution, calls for respect of human rights, inclusion, social justice and protection of the vulnerable groups. Article 232 demands that the public service must be representative of the diverse Kenyan communities and that adequate and equal opportunity in appointment, training and advancement, at all levels of the public service to men and women, members of all ethnic communities and persons with disabilities is adhered to ( a requirement that every organization has to emulate). With freedom of labour movement globally, Workplace diversity is a central issue in human resource management in any organization in the 21st Century. The call for workforce diversity has risen in part from social movements which challenge traditional patterns of exclusions in most important institutions of society including work institutions and public employment. This has led to opening up of opportunities for groups which previously had been excluded from accessing societal resources and opportunities. Indigenous entrepreneurship has been susceptible to disparities especially when dealing with natural resources which women and minorities have no ownership. We are committed to working in building a diverse and inclusive business environment, through training, mentoring, and research. Our team is composed of individuals from different religious backgrounds, gender, nationalities, tribes as well as individuals who are differently abled.

As social entrepreneurs we are motivated to improve lives and systems in Turkana County, and we are serious about leading change. This social enterprise is founded by five members who have embarked on a specified monthly contribution (bootstrapping) to initially show some level of traction before funders will be willing to take a risk to put their money behind this venture. Our funds come from personal savings, by funneling money earned from our current employment. We expend time and effort to bring our idea to life investing “sweat equity”. The enterprise carries the most risk due to lack of market validation and track record. Through bootstrapping we have managed to keep full ownership of the company, and there are no additional costs like interest or fees when accepting debt financing. However, we have encountered two main disadvantages relating to this source of funding:

• growth is limited by our contributions; thus, the speed of scaling can be slower than if we were to accept outside investment
• without outside funders, we may miss out on the advice, mentorship, and network that is often attached to capital. Scaling entirely through self-funded earned revenue is a challenge. Based on the above drawbacks we plan to expand our funding model to outside funders. The team is benchmarking on incubators, programs that provide participating entrepreneurs with the resources and support they need to grow. Incubators provide a mix of access to mentorship, networks, office space, professional services (such as legal or accounting support), and a cohort of like-minded peers. We are seeking for service contracts from the County government of Turkana and the national government. The team is trying its hand on securing grants from foundations, corporations and the international community. Grants can be crucial for sectors with high start-up costs and where investments are generally riskier to private funders, such as infrastructural development a major activity for this venture.