Pastoralism

Livestock herders, or pastoralists, are typically among the most vulnerable people in the countries where they live. They occupy the drought-prone lands that cannot support rain-fed agriculture. Their systems of mobile herding - moving animals in search of water and grazing – have evolved over hundreds of years and are ideally suited to sustaining life in areas where rainfall is unpredictable. In most of these areas, pastoralism is the only way to make a living from the land.

The relationship between pastoralists and government is often based on a long history of misunderstanding and mistrust. In most African countries, pastoralists are a minority of the population. The majority live a more settled life, and most services are organised to meet their needs. It is commonly felt that mobile herding is primitive and outdated, and that pastoralists must adapt to mainstream systems of development and service delivery.

Pastoralists have few channels through which to challenge these negative attitudes and perceptions. Pastoralist women are doubly disadvantaged given the limitations they face within their own societies, for example in owning property or taking public roles.

Oxfam and its partners are working in pastoral areas of both West Africa (Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali) and the Horn/East Africa (Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Somalia). On both sides of the continent the overall strategy is to work on two broad fronts.

First, to help pastoralists build or develop their own organisations through which they can represent themselves and their values, and come to understand, articulate, and claim their rights. Second, to influence those in power to become more responsive to pastoralists’ needs and concerns.

However, these kinds of fundamental changes in capacity and attitudes cannot be achieved without also addressing the more immediate priorities of people’s lives. Some of the practical issues being tackled are:

• Peacebuilding – supporting communities to find ways to reduce violent conflict;
• Livelihoods – improving incomes and the availability of food, for example by encouraging small business activities and working for better access to markets;
• Education – helping widen access to education for excluded groups, particularly girls, women, and the more nomadic herders;
• Water – working with pastoral organisations to improve the management of precious water sources;
• Women’s rights – helping to strengthen women’s position within and outside their communities, for example through programmes that provide livestock (restocking), credit and business training, and adult education, or by supporting their public role within pastoral organisations.

Oxfam is taking a long-term approach in its work with pastoralists, planning to provide support over a 15-year period. This level of commitment is essential for the depth of changes that Oxfam hopes to help bring about. If these changes can be secured, then pastoralists will have found the stronger voice they need, and government policy-makers and service-providers will begin listening to what they have to say.