Changed Lives: Napirai

Millions in the Greater Horn of Africa are facing acute hunger as the region faces one of the worst droughts in recent decades.

Napirai is a moran (herder) of the semi-nomadic, pastoralist Samburu people who live in the arid lands of Samburu County, in Kenya’s northern region. For the Samburu, lives - and livelihoods - are deeply entwined with the land.

“The drought forced us to travel long distances in search of pasture. This put us at risk of violence - some have lost their lives due to fighting over water and pasture for their livestock.”

Sponsored Arts for Education (SAFE) have been part of Egmont’s portfolio since 2016, using culturally appropriate theatre performances and traditional dance to educate Samburu communities on HIV prevention and to reduce the high prevalence of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) - a cultural tradition amongst the Samburu and rite of passage for Samburu girls to undergo in preparation for adulthood and marriage.

Unlike previous, externally driven attempts to curtail the practice, the communities have been receptive to SAFE’s nuanced and locally informed approach: since 2016 the number of community members surveyed by SAFE who report that they would consider ending the practice of FGM and seek an alternative rite of passage has risen from 29% to 57%.

Climate uncertainties and the resultant economic effects threaten to derail this progress. When times are tough, Samburu girls are the first to suffer; as families look to marry them off to collect dowries and reduce the number of mouths to feed. When economic hardship increases, so to do the rates of FGM and the number of girls dropping out of school. With increasingly unpredictable weather patterns, helping the Samburu adapt and become more resilient would have far- reaching effects.

To this end, Egmont has supported SAFE to work with the Samburu, principally the morans - adolescent boys and young men between childhood and marriage who tend the livestock - to explore adaptations in the way they plan and react to climatic shocks.

Following a period of research with the Samburu, SAFE createdmmand trialled a new piece of interactive theatre, performed by Samburu actors, which used stories to present the environmental issues they face and included space for dialogue and solution-finding among the audience. Over 2024, this performance was taken on two nine-day tours, reaching over 3,000 Samburu people, and workshops for community dialogues were arranged with the morans and other social groups.

“The workshops helped us realise the importance of planned grazing, helping us to avoid creating barren areas that are more prone to flooding and head off conflict that happens as a result.”

As a traditionally separate social group in Samburu society, morans are often excluded from community meetings and have a strained relationship with elders. Yet, after SAFE’s workshops, they requested inclusion and, for the first time, joined discussions with elders—a major breakthrough. As the next generation, their involvement is vital for restoring the local environment.

“Our [the morans] meeting with our elders was the first time we had taken part in a community gathering. We were able to share our views on how we could help. Because of this, we have been able to participate in digging of circular bands and gully healing in degraded areas and planting grass, to create more space for livestock grazing.”

This pilot project is a first for Egmont, supporting a Partner to respond to the impact of climate change on a community. Its effects are being felt by individuals such as Napirai already, but may take years to bear fruit across Samburu County.

Fortunately, given its success, SAFE have integrated the performances into their other work, helping many more to learn and adapt as Napirai has.