Pastoral Visions

Pastoralists document their lives through words and pictures

CAPE Unit, AU/IBAR

Pastoral Visions
In April 2002, the CAPE Unit distributed disposable cameras to
pastoralists throughout the Karamojong Cluster – an area which
includes NW Kenya, NE Uganda, SE Sudan, and SW Ethiopia –
asking the photographers to ‘capture what you see around you.’
In February 2003, CAPE revisited the photographers to find out
more about their lives and the meanings behind their
photographs. Each photographer was asked to describe what is
important to them, what each photograph shows, why this is
important, and what they would want someone to learn from
looking at that photo.
The result is a selection of photographs and personal histories
from pastoralists throughout the Karamojong Cluster. It is our
hope that these images and stories will provide a more accurate
picture of the issues facing pastoralists today.
The CAPE Unit received technical support from the Feinstein
International Center, Tufts University.
Akony Lorukea
Nanam, Kenya
Turkana
“I am about 30 years old. I
married recently, and I have
four children. I met my wife at
the watering point and began
to court her. She is very
beautiful. It took me five days
to convince her to marry me.
Then I paid the ekimar
(bridewealth) and married her
officially.

I am a good herdsman. The

most exciting thing in my life is my livestock. However, life is difficult because
the droughts cause suffering. We are surrounded by insecurity because of cattle
raiding by the Toposa. They attack us, but we don’t retaliate. My animals have
been raided several times, but I have never retaliated because I am afraid of
being killed in the raids.”
Milking
“This is a woman from one of
the ngadakarin (cattle camps)
in our migration group, not
from my adakar though. She is
milking her cows in the
evening, but she also milks in
the mornings. Women and girls
do the milking, not men. It is
an important job to them. They
have always done it. The cows
are milked in the morning
before they go out to graze,
and in the evening when they return home. It can take a woman three hours to
milk the whole herd, depending on the number of animals.

When I take animals to graze, I include the milking herd. This is the most
important herd because the family depends on its milk. We depend on livestock
and their products. Milk does not contribute much to our diet because our cattle
produce little milk. We give most of the milk to the children.” -Akony Lorukea
Migration Preparations
“This photo was taken when people
from my adakar (cattle camp) were
migrating. We were moving eastward
from a place called Loburin, at Mt.
Zolia, to Natwel, west of Mt. Songot.
The donkeys are about to be loaded
with our belongings. When we move,
we take such things as containers for
storing milk and fat, sleeping mats,
skins and hides. The donkeys also
carry small children and very old
people. The move from one location
to the other takes about ten days on
foot, depending on the pasture and
water available. Migration weakens
both animals and humans and security is unpredictable.

I move where the cattle camp leaders—Lotoom, Apangisepion, and Lokwarasmoe—decide to

go. We move in a large group comprising several ngadakarin. The group includes all the
people I am close to. Some are members of my age set and some are relatives. Before you
join a migration group, you need to have known its members for a long time and be able to
trust them”
-Akony Lorukea
Ekiru Loito
Nanam, Kenya
Turkana
“I am married with one wife. During the wet
season, I spend three to four months in the
ngadakarin, our cattle camps. However, in the dry
season, I can come to town when I have an
animal to sell, to buy food for my family,
veterinary drugs, or anything I need. I am in town
today because I have to purchase some items for
the family. It takes three days to walk from the
cattle camps to Lokichoggio. I do not like staying
in town because I will miss my livestock.
Livestock is everything I need in life.

I have been raided twice. Thirty cows were taken in the first raid and twenty in
the second one. I am only left with goats. I will replace the lost cows by trading
the goats I have. The bridewealth from my sisters will increase my cattle, little
by little. I don’t consider the option of stealing back my cows from the Toposa
because I fear dying in a raid. It is better to be contented with goats alone, but
if I get more cows, I will marry another wife.”
Healthy Animals Grazing
“I did not know the camera could
make things look so nice. The
animals look so healthy.

The Toposa raid when the

animals are in the pasture like
this. The Turkana also do the
same, but they haven’t done so
since the peace meeting CAPE
held at Nanam. We were having
many peace meetings between
the Toposa and us. CAPE and
the government were helping us to have them. Right now, there is no peace. We
are having problems in maintaining peace and the seers are to blame. They dream
and read the intestines of dead animals to predict that the Toposa will raid, or to tell
us to go for raids. But our cattle camp leader, Ekipor, likes peace. He can dissuade
the youth from going for a raid or even disagree with seers when they support raids.
He advises the youth not to raid and only to fight back if they are attacked within
their homesteads.”
-Ekiru Loito
Dismantling the House
“This was in 2001, during the wet
season. This person is dismantling
her house because she’s about to
migrate. It is in my adakar, my
cattle camp. There were no building
materials where we were migrating.
We were moving from Nanam to
Nakalale to use the dry season
grazing areas at Mt. Mogila. When
we migrate, we move as a whole
cattle camp. Decisions about where
to move are made by Ekipor, our
cattle camp leader.
In our community, constructing and dismantling the shelter is the woman’s responsibility.
When we migrate, she’s the one to pack and lead the donkeys. A good woman is judged
by her shelter, and she also makes herself a nice skin cloth, wears a well-mixed beads
strap around the neck, and makes household utensils such as wooden containers for
storing fat and milk.
When someone looks at this picture, he will wonder, “Was she constructing a shelter or
was she dismantling it?” But she was dismantling it.”
-Ekiru Loito
Lobei Ekidor
Posta, Kenya
Turkana
“I am planning a wedding. I am preparing to wed
my second wife and pay the bridewealth. My first
wife will move to town to take care of the school-
going children. The second one will remain with
me at the cattle camps. The first wife is happy
about the arrangement. Her role in the wedding of
the second wife is to escort the ram that marks
the engagement to the parents of the second wife.
She initiates and welcomes the second wife. I am
excited to take another wife. I already have five
children, so now I will have more.
My cattle were raided, but I was left with goats. Those are the ones I will offer
for bridewealth. It is better using them to pay for bridewealth than to let them
die during drought. If I get back some of the raided cattle, I will probably use
them to marry another wife. Plans to marry a third wife are in store once I get
more livestock. To us, it is worth using the animals to marry another wife rather
than leaving them for raiders. Then I can have more children to send to school,
and they will take care of me.”
Nayalel
“This photo shows people who
are migrating. The lady, called
Nayalel, is leading a donkey
while carrying a metal box on
her head. The box contains her
belongings. She belongs to the
migration group of our cattle
camp. This migration was during
the beginning of the wet season.
The migration takes about four
days. It is not easy to migrate
because we cross bushy areas,
always on the lookout for the enemies, the Toposa. The movement is organized
such that women, children and livestock move in the middle while men are on
the sides keeping guard.
During this migration, the Toposa raided us. It was not while we were moving,
but just a day after we settled at the destination. Even this cow in the picture
was driven away by the Toposa. One-hundred cows and 28 donkeys, some of
which were mine, were taken away.”
-Lobei Ekidor
Relief Food Distribution
“This woman was picking up maize
from the ground during the relief
food distribution after the 1999-
2001 drought. She had to pick it
from the ground because she was
not registered for the relief food
distribution because there was
some corruption in the registration
process. People were giving out
money to be registered. I am also
not registered, even though we
thought that the food was meant
to help those of us in the cattle camps. The food distribution clerks and committees
were seen selling the relief food in Loki.

We suffer when there is drought like those years. Those who have enough animals
can sell them at the market and buy food for the family. We have fertile soil where
we can grow maize, but there is not enough water. The crop that is commonly
grown here is sorghum, which can mature within the three months of the wet
season. “
-Lobei Ekidor
Ngilenga
“This is the same migration as
in the photo described above.
The lady in the photo is my
niece. She is loading luggage
onto a donkey. These are
containers for keeping milk and
fat, hides and skins, calabashes,
spoons, and other household
things. She comes from our
cattle camp. The whole of my
family is in that same cattle
camp and we migrate together. Our cattle camp is called Ngilenga, meaning
knives, signifying that we are like sharp knives courageously crossing insecure
places to abundant pasture without fear. Livestock keepers are identified by
the cattle camps or grazing groups they belong to.”
-Lobei Ekidor
Lokange Ekamais
Nanam, Kenya
Turkana
“I stay at Nanam. Many people stay in this place. It
has about ten cattle camps with very many animals.
It is almost the dry season and we might soon
migrate to the foot of Mt. Songot in search of
pasture and water. It is not very far from here.
Today, I have been watering cattle and digging
water wells. What I am doing now is different from
what I do during the wet season because at that
time, water pools are found all over and livestock
take water on their own. During the dry season, I
need to dig a well in the riverbed to water my
animals.

I am married, with two wives. I have married them officially and paid
bridewealth. Bridewealth here is 40 cows, 300 goats, 20 camels and 10 donkeys.
It was difficult to pay the bridewealth. I enjoy herding my livestock and
acquiring enough of them to be able to marry and pay bridewealth.”
Animals at Rest “The donkeys in this photo are
playing by biting one another’s
ears. There are also cattle here
with a herdsman. They are not
grazing, but resting at the
cattle camps after having
grazed well. They have also
drunk water. They are not my
animals, but those of my
neighbours with whom I stay
and migrate. When this photo
was taken, there was enough
pasture and water and these animals were healthy. Recently, they have been
weakened by drought. They are not as healthy as before. The place is no
longer as green as it was in the photo.

Around 200 people in my family depend on the livestock in my family. This

includes cousins, wives, children, brothers, sisters, and others. I am proud to
have such a big family. They provide enough labour for herding.”
- Lokange Ekamais
Girls’ Responsibilities“I took this photo at the acacia
trees just nearby. These girls
have just completed watering
their animals. Girls do not go
herding but water animals
instead. Men also assist in
watering. Girls of this age have
a lot of responsibilities at
home. They water livestock,
milk animals, churn milk,
construct shelters, look after
calves and kids and take care
of small children.

These girls do not go to school, but some do. The girls and the parents decide
together whether one should go to school. Some girls may not want to go. The
parents want them to stay at home and do the household chores. It’s mostly
the parents’ decision. I took this photo to show what the children in our area
who do not attend school do.”
- Lokange Ekamais
Water Point “People are guiding their cattle to
the water trough. To organize the
watering of animals, they gather
them at some point away from
the water well. About four or five
of us get in the well to draw
water into the trough. A few
animals are selected at a time to
drink. This is repeated until all the
animals have been given water.
The goats are watered first, and
then the calves, then adult cattle,
and camels and donkeys last.

The owner of the water well, the one who dug the water point, waters his animals
first. It takes a whole day to dig a watering point. When the water table is low and
wells get deeper, four or five people enter the well, forming a chain from the bottom
of the well to the top and they pass the water from the bottom of the well to the
trough where the animals drink. Unlike during the wet season, animals are watered
at intervals to allow water to collect.”
- Lokange Ekamais
Epua and Meriarengan
“The boy in the photo is Epua
from Natamakarwo. He is a
good friend of mine. The
reason he is raising his hands
is to show how the horns of his
bull are shaped. He is praising
his bull. It is important because
it signifies his position among
his age mates, that he has a
bull and loves it. It gives him
status and recognition. The
presence of that bull in the herd makes him want to take very good care of his
animals. He is named after his bull. If that bull dies, he will mourn. The name of
my friend’s bull is Meriarengan.”
- Lokange Ekamais
Nachakur Kangamanat
Lopiding, Kenya
Turkana

“I am married man with two wives and

eight children. Two of my daughters are
married. My sons are too young to look
after the livestock, so I do it most of the
time.

I am from the adakar, or cattle camp, of

Lotoom, who is a seer. We have a very big
cattle camp with almost 5000 people,
which is good for protection. I am an elder
in my cattle camp. I attend peace
meetings. We elders are the key negotiators during such meetings. I was a
well-known raider and women sang my praises but now I fear to go for raids.
Raiding is now very different from those of the past. It is very unregulated
now.”
Migration
“The gun in the picture is not mine.
It belongs to the government but I
had it for security reasons. It is an
M-4 type. I borrowed it from a
friend in my cattle camp for
escorting my livestock during the
migration. It is a long-range gun.
My friend was selected by the Chief
to be a Kenya Police Reservist
(KPR), and so he was given the
gun. There are three KPR in my
cattle camp. There are also others
with personal guns.
Our cattle camp leader is called Lotoom and he is responsible for calling elders to
meetings to discuss issues such as the next migration. Before the migration starts, the
cattle camp leader summons all the elders and youth to discuss the possible secure
routes to follow. A group of young men is then sent for surveillance along the routes.
When they come back to the cattle camp, they give a report to the people and they
discuss the threats. The migration then starts after consensus is reached on which route
we should take. As people move, armed young men and the stronger elders escort the
animals from the sides, front and back, as women, children and the old people walk in
the middle.” - Nachakur Kangamanat
Gabriel Ochwe
Kalapata, Kenya
Pokot
“My name is Gabriel Ochwe. I have a family. I have little
property, but I live well with my family because I have
my cows. I got them recently, just this year. I have two
cows only. I also married recently. Thirty cows and thirty
goats are paid to the parents of the lady when you marry.
That’s all that is required, so that you will be left with one
or two cows for your survival. I married last year, but
paid the bridewealth this year. That is why I am staying
with my wife now.

I have a lot of problems, like starvation, cultivation, and

few livestock. The problems I have are common to the
community. The Turkana and Karamojong often kill my
people during the raids. Raids exacerbate the existing
problems. We need peace with our neighbours.

People are starving this year. We have not received any rain. Those who suffer most are
the blind, the old and the children. Young men and women visit their neighbours to beg
for food. We are really starving. When rains come, we cultivate sorghum. We can only be
sure we will manage when most of the sorghum thrives in the gardens.”
Ekitoingikiliok
“These people are at their
traditional meeting place, the
Ekitoingikiliok, the tree of men. You
can see that they are elders, 35
years and older. At the tree of men,
elders play the stone-counting and
scoring game, ngikiles. They also do
wood carving and hold discussions.
Any matter about the community is
reported at the tree of men where
discussions are held and decisions
made. Very many issues are
discussed, hunger or starvation,
raids, lack of pasture and water for livestock, impending drought, and many others.
They especially discuss issues related to food shortages during drought. There are
many elders in our cattle camp who make decisions, but only 10 are the most
important. They give direction and make sure everyone is in agreement.
Here, the elders are making wooden sculptures for household use. They are carving
calabashes, milking cups and watering troughs. One of them is carving a trough for
watering cattle and other animals. Some are sharpening their wrist knives.”
- Gabriel Ochwe
Returning from the Watering Point
“You can see an old man. He
has taken his livestock to the
watering point. The journey
back home is almost finished.
You can see the cattle have
taken enough water.

At the moment there is not

enough water in our area, so
we have to travel a long way to
reach the water points. For this
reason, elders direct animals to the watering points because they are more
experienced and know where to find water when it is dry.”
- Gabriel Ochwe
Homestead
“This is an awi, a home. There
are about 20 houses in our
homestead. One big family can
have 20 houses or even more.
You can see women, old people
and children outside these
houses. They live together.
Women mostly stay around
their homes. Old women do not
go out, only the young ones.

These women are talking about food shortage in their homes. They are
discussing what action should be taken. You can see that these women are
starving. They are seriously discussing where they can find food for their
families. When there is starvation, we gather wild fruits, although there are no
wild fruits around our homes. During starvation, women go to work for people
in urban centres. They fetch water for them and get maize flour in return.”
- Gabriel Ochwe
Elisha Plengun
Chemolingot, Kenya
Pokot
“I became an Assistant Chief in 1993 when the former
Assistant Chief retired and the position fell vacant in my
location. We were many during the interviews at the
District Headquarters, chaired by the District
Commissioner. To become a Chief or Assistant Chief, you
must have been born in that location and you must be
between 20 to 45 years old. If you are educated, that is
an added advantage. That is how one qualifies.

After working as an Assistant Chief, I became the Chief in

1995. It is difficult being a Chief because this is a large
location and there are many problems. The main one is
the raids. We have to hold many barazzas, and they are
effective. We sometimes have our own barazzas in the
area, and then when there is conflict, we have what we
call peace committees and border peace committees
formed by the community. Sometimes, NGOs such as World Vision and CAPE help out.
CAPE will bring a lot of changes, which brings us a lot of hope. We talk together now, old
men, young men, women, even chiefs. Raids are reducing because of CAPE. The thing
about peace is that it’s hard to get the real thing.”
Asapan These photos show a ceremony known as Asapan, where older
boys are initiated. For the Pokot, there is circumcision, and
afterwards, Asapan, but it depends. You can have both, but it is
up to the people to decide. A group of boys, aged 18 and above
comes together and decides, “Now we are grown up boys, let’s
go for Asapan.” It’s another stage that shows that they are men
and can marry and eat with other men under the same tree. It
takes place between the months of July and September.
Many people come to Asapan. During this one, there were about
800 people. Boys and women came. They heard that there was a
ceremony and they came. People are told about the ceremony a
week earlier, because every community or family that comes
brings milk. This is the forum where the chief announces future
activities or meetings. It is also an occasion where people get
information, so they travel from very far to attend.
During Asapan, a cow is slaughtered, and then the blood is put in
a calabash, known as obtuba, where they mix the blood with the
milk. It is the tradition to drink this while kneeling. There is also
edonga, dancing and singing. The edonga for Asapan is called
ayopo, when the girls mix with the boys. It is like a disco. It is
just fun.
John Kamana
Chemolingot, Kenya
Pokot

“I used to work as a photographer, but

then I went back home to my cattle
camp. Now I am just at home, looking
after the animals. I am a pastoralist,
but I stay in town also. My animals are
at home and my brothers look after
them when I am away. I am educated,
so I like the life of town.”
Children’s Chores
“In this photo, my child is
coming back from fetching
water at the river. The river is
seven kilometres away. She is
carrying the water for home
on her back. The animals go
to the same place for water,
but they will have to cover an
additional four kilometres
further looking for pasture.

This picture shows how we prepare a child for responsibility at home, so that
she can help the younger ones to fetch water when the mother is away. It is
good training, because she will be a mother one day.”
- John Kamana
Children’s Chores
“These two are looking after
the animals. They have just
come from the river with their
goats and are almost reaching
home. This picture shows how
our children take care of the
animals when they are still
young. This is the
responsibility of the boy as he
is growing. The younger
children look after the goats,
but sometimes we give them the responsibility of looking after the cows. When
they are about 14 years old, they are ready to herd the cows.”
- John Kamana
Hunting
“The boy is hunting in this
photograph. He hunts for hare
and dik dik. He hunts
whenever he’s looking after
the livestock. He brings home
hare about once every week
for us to eat. He’s ten years
old. When he grows a bit
older, he will stop hunting and
just look after the animals. I
took this picture because I
wanted to show how our people depend on animals for food: both livestock and
the wild animals that we hunt.”
- John Kamana
Peter Adomongura
Silale, Kenya
Pokot

“I am a Chief here in Silale. It is a very difficult job

because of the problems of our community. Our
biggest problem is that we don’t have water. That is
why I am working to make sure that we have our
own water sources, by digging dams. Our other
problem is insecurity, but that has improved lately. I
have been working with the peace makers so that we
can live at peace with the Turkana.”
Water Pump
“This photograph shows a
machine for pumping water that
community members built with
support from the Catholic Diocese
of Nakuru. Community members
contributed 30% and the Catholic
Diocese contributed 70% to cover
the costs of constructing the deep
bore hole. There is almost always
water, but we cannot fetch it
because the machine has a
mechanical problem. The bore
hole was constructed in 2000, and
it worked for a short time
and then it broke. It was repaired and it broke down again. Since then, it has not been
fixed, and so we don’t have water. When it was working, we used it for our drinking
water supply only. The machine used too much energy for us to use it to supply water for
other domestic use or for our livestock.

Water is a problem here. The water sources are far, so the community members of Silale
decided to build a dam. The World Food Program and World Vision assisted us with tools.
In two more months, we will have water for our livestock here.” - Peter Adomongura
Young Herder
“This picture shows a young
boy taking animals to drink
water at a small dam in
Lokiwach. The boy may be ten
years old, but he is
responsible for the animals. It
is risky to leave the young
boys with the animals because
of the insecurity. He might not
protect them, and thieves
could shoot him. Things are
not so bad between us and the Turkana right now, though. Elders from Pokot
and Turkana came together and discussed drought and how to share the
grazing areas. We use water in their district until the rainy season comes.”
- Peter Adomongura
Scaring Birds
“This picture shows a girl
inside the garden where she
grows sorghum. The young
girl is ensuring that birds do
not eat the sorghum. The
sorghum has been planted by
the river, near the water
source. Few people cultivate
the crop but those who do
also keep animals as a source
of livelihood. No one can
survive just by growing sorghum but if we had more rain, we could grow
more.” - Peter Adomongura
Camels
“This is a camel that belongs
to someone in Silale. Camels
are good for these areas
because they are like Jersey
cows that produce a lot of milk
in the highlands. The camel
produces milk during the wet
and dry seasons. Another
advantage is that even during
the dry season, when the
vegetation is scarce it can
reach the tall branches. It does not compete with the cows, sheep, and goats
or need to travel far to find vegetation. It can be kept at home to provide milk
for the children. We don’t have very many camels here though.”
- Peter Adomongura
Archangelo Osango
Nanyangachor, Sudan
Toposa
“I’m a Toposa from Nanyangachor. I was born in
Uganda in October 1966 when everyone was fleeing
the war, so my parents fled to Uganda and that is
where I was born.
I trained as a nurse in 1990 with AMREF and
UNICEF. I went to Lopiding, in Kenya, for the
training. I was top of my class in Kapoeta, so they
chose to train me. In 1992, I went back to Kapoeta
to work. At that time, Kapoeta was captured, so I
could not continue to work there and I moved to
Kakuma. My parents were killed in the war and I
came back to Sudan for my father’s burial and found that there was no work for
me. After three years without employment, I started working for the Diocese of
Torit in Nanyangachor and have worked here since then. It’s a good place to work
because there’s no war, not even the Antanov bomber, and it’s quiet.
I am married and my family lives here. My wife is a Toposa from Buno. My eldest
child is in class one. I have three children now, but three have also died from
whooping cough and diarrhea. They were so young.”
Hunger
“This shows when the World Food
Program brought relief food to
Kalobelen. I think it was
November. It was a difficult time
because people did not have food.
It had all been finished by then as
it was the dry season and there
was no rain for people to grow
crops. The birds also came and
finished the crops. Even the goats
and bulls were suffering.
During food drops, three women
get 50 kilos of sorghum to share.
The women divide it by themselves. Sometimes they get nothing. They cry, and the
others may share some of their sorghum with them. When the hunger becomes severe,
they slaughter goats and then cows.
At this time, the people were shouting. They surrounded the food and they were looting
it. Even the men were looting, saying, “Let’s just get this by force. Let’s just take it, we
won’t wait for those UN people.” They didn’t share the food; they just took what they
could. Some people were stabbed while others lost the skins they were wearing. The food
was still not enough.” - Archangelo Osango
Christmas Day
“It was Christmas Day, and we
were having a party. During
Christmas, people bring goats
and chickens that are
slaughtered. They also bring
milk for people to drink. Some
play music on the local
guitars, called adungu. Marco
and Peter make them. When
they play them, you can hear
the sound from very far. They
have fun playing. These things
are new to us, and that’s why I wanted to show them in the photo. We did not
have guitars before. Marco learned to make them when he was working with
the Dinkas, where they have these guitars in their culture. These days, instead
of just singing and dancing all the time, we also play these instruments.”
- Archangelo Osango
Fishing
“In this photograph, we were
fishing using nets at the river
in Nanyangachor. The Diocese
of Torit gave us the nets in
2001 and taught us how to
use them. Before, we used to
fish with the spears or local
hooks. Now, when we use the
nets, we catch more fish. We
used to catch just twenty or
thirty but now we catch
hundreds.

A long time ago, the people here did not eat fish. A few of our Toposa people
in Juba knew there were fish here and that they could be eaten. When they
came to Nanyangachor, around 1983, we learned that we could eat fish. They
came from Juba because they were fleeing the war. There are still some people
here who don’t eat fish though.”
- Archangelo Osango
Ngikiles
“I took this picture because it
was funny. These people are
shouting and arguing.
They are playing a game
called ngikiles. There are
several people on each team.
When you take all of the
stones from the other team,
you win. People play this
game to pass time, because
they are jobless or it is their
day off from herding the
animals. They play near the water point so that when their animals come, they
can stop the game and fetch water for their animals.”
- Archangelo Osango
Domestic Dispute
“This photo shows an argument
between a husband and his wife in
Pongo. Some goats entered the
nyatabo, the kitchen, and ate the
woman’s sorghum. When she
found out, she beat the goats. The
husband came home and wanted
to beat the wife because she had
beaten his goats. The people who
were there stopped him, saying,
“Don’t beat her, don’t beat her. Do
not fight, because you might hurt
the woman.”

It’s common for husbands to beat their wives. It’s a problem though because it’s not good
to just beat your wife for no reason. Instead, you should just talk to the woman, and she
will understand. If you beat her too often, she will run to her people for help. Her people
will say, “Take back your bridewealth and bring back our daughter.” She will take her
children with her and then she can marry someone else. If the woman makes a mistake,
the people will meet and point out her mistake. If a man makes a mistake, they will sit
and tell him his mistake. The community and the relatives of the couple meet to discuss
the issue, and decide how to resolve it.” - Archangelo Osango
Traditional Healer
“The woman in this photo is a
traditional healer and she is
killing the goat to treat a sick
woman. They brought the goat
and the healer slaughtered it
and spread the dung on the sick
person. She applied dung all
over her body and blood on her
head. The sick woman stayed
with her for three days and
recovered. Sometimes doing this
seems to heal the sickness. She
had a chest problem and she
was vomiting and having diarrhea, but she recovered after this treatment
This treatment doesn’t really work because it’s just a traditional belief. We want to
stop this kind of belief. I took this picture to show people that they should come to
the clinic and take medicine, not natural remedies. Herbs do not always work.
Visiting the traditional healer can be expensive. People pay the healer with the goat
that is slaughtered, but at the clinic, everything is free of charge, even food.”
- Archangelo Osango
Paying the Fine
“These people are waiting to
eat meat. It is a special case
because someone raped the
wife of one of these men. He
was in the bush and when the
woman went to fetch the
firewood, he attacked her. The
woman was not to blame.
When the other men found
out, they looked for the man
and beat him. Then they fined
him seven cows. The cows
were paid to the husband and he is sharing them with people in the
community. That is why they’re waiting for meat.

This was his first rape. The people around know him and they asked, “Why are
you doing this? Why would you rape this woman?” Now he has lost his cows,
and he’s not yet married. So he will suffer and he will not do it again.”

- Archangelo Osango
George Lojore
Narus, Sudan
Toposa
“I was the Executive Director of
Kapoeta County in 2000. The
community selected me for the
position. Prior to that, I was the
Manager of the Total
Cooperative, which means Serve
Toposa by Toposa. We have a
barter shop where we trade such
items as beads for animals. We
the members of the Toposa
community started the
cooperative. I was the Manager then I became the Executive Director of
Kapoeta County for a year. I solved the problems of the Chief and the local
people around here. Now I’m just helping the community in any way I can. I
help the Councilors, translate, anything that is needed.”
Hair Plaiting
“This is a photo of women
under the tree plaiting their
hair. They are from Kariang
and they came to meet the
Commissioner here in Narus.
They came for an event,
bringing sim sim, sesame
seeds, as a gift for the
Commissioner. It was a
celebration. When they have a
good harvest, they bring sim
sim to the Commissioner. They
have dressed well because of
the special occasion.”
- George Lojore
Ekirek
“These are elders under the
tree. They are here to meet
for ekirik, a ceremony
performed when they receive
the bridewealth for a girl.
They will proceed as a group
to meet the man paying the
bridewealth. The ekirek is a
very important ceremony in
our custom. People come
together and meet the
husband-to-be to discuss the
bridewealth. I think the bridewealth here would amount to more than 40 cows
and even goats in addition. Bridewealth is important because in our custom,
when you marry someone’s daughter, it is important to compensate that family
for what they have expended in bringing her up.
- George Lojore
Marino Namot
Nanyangachor, Sudan
Toposa
“I am 42 years old. I am married with one wife. I
had two wives, but one died. I have five children
who help me look after the livestock. My ancestral
home is Kauto.
I am a Community-Based Animal Health Worker
(CAHW). I was trained in 1999. The community
selected me because I was active, hardworking,
and the only one who had gone to school in the
whole village. My village is called Nyao, which
means, people are as many as bees. I don’t only
treat animals in my cattle camp, but also in other
cattle camps, and elsewhere where there is a
disease outbreak. The community really
appreciates my work because most of the animals
I treat recover. I also enjoy my work because
when I am treating animals in my cattle camp the
community supports me by giving me food. I also
feel honoured to be known by so many people.”
Houses and Granaries
“These are houses and granaries.
The houses are lower than
granaries. The granaries are raised
to keep livestock from feeding on
the stored food. It also helps to
keep ants away as they can’t climb
to the height of the granary. If
they are high enough, they deter
children and thieves. It is a good
way of safeguarding stored food.

This is where I come from and this

is my house. One of the granaries is mine, the rest are for relatives who stay with me. I
sleep in my house, but when there are mosquitoes, I sleep in the granary if it’s empty.
The mosquitoes can’t easily fly to the height of the granary. The shade under the granary
is good for resting during the day.

It is really difficult to build a granary. The roof is first woven on the ground, and then
lifted on to the erected supporting poles. Women construct granaries. It is my wife who
constructed mine.” - Marino Namot
Charles Lotukei
Moroto, Uganda
Tepeth
“I am 26 years old and married. I have one
child, only one. I work for the Internal
Revenue Authority as an office messenger. I
was born in the village, in Nabwin Village, Lea
Parish. I went to school here and trained to be
a teacher. I was a teacher with the Alternative
Basic Education for Karamoja project before I
came to Moroto. My job involved teaching
small children who don’t go to school or those
who live far from the schools. I trained and got
a certificate. I wanted to do it to help the
community. I stopped though because it is not
a professional teaching job and because of the
long distances. There is no transport and I had
to travel on foot for 26 kilometers. I prefer
staying in the village. I am a pastoralist. My
parents and brothers take care of my animals
when I am in town.”
Naleyo Dance
“This shows the harvesting
season when people are
happy and they are dancing.
This is the Naleyo dance,
which happens only once each
year. When the harvest is
good and the yields are okay,
they perform this dance. They
don’t jump; they just keep
their feet on the ground. The
lady dances in front of the
man keeping her eyes closed
to show respect. There is one particularly good singer who leads and the others
sing after him. The men clap and sing, and then the women join in when the
dance begins. Once they begin dancing, the women go to the men and choose
their partners. The dance can last for two days, from morning to sunset each
day.”

- Charles Lotukei
Hair Shaving
“They are using arrows
instead of razor blades for
shaving their hair. They use
the arrow because the trading
centre is too far for them to go
and buy a razor blade. It is 20
kilometres away. They shave
different patterns in their hair.
The hair in the middle of the
head is left longer. They shave
once a month or so. They do
not like wearing their hair
long, so they shave often.”

- Charles Lotukei
Permanent Shelter
“This picture shows how
people live. This is their
permanent shelter.
Sometimes, it is used as a
granary or a store. It is not
often used for storing much
grain though, only enough for
consumption. It is raised to
protect it from termites and
running water. It is women
who build these kinds of
structures. The construction
takes one or two months, depending on the distance from the source of the
building materials.

This house is for Lorika, my brother. His wife built it. It is a well constructed
home, a good one. That’s how we determine good, hardworking ladies. A good
wife builds a good house for you.”
- Charles Lotukei
Sorghum Harvest
“This photograph was taken
during the harvesting season,
around September or October.
Harvesting lasts for one
month. A lot of the sorghum is
used for beer and food. After
threshing the sorghum, they
prepare some beer and
celebrate. Then they plant
new grains, the new yield for
the year.

The work is not so difficult. It’s women that do it. They cultivate the fields.
They harvest the produce and remove the husks. They also make beer from it.
The women do all of the work involving the sorghum.”
- Charles Lotukei
Erei
“This is an erei, a group of
homesteads. It is the
permanent home of the
people of Tapach, who had
already migrated when I took
the picture. This was the rainy
season, so they had moved to
the area where their gardens
are to look after the sorghum.
They migrate annually. The
men move to go and look after
animals while the women
move to tend the gardens. The moment they harvest the crops and plant
afresh, they have to travel to look after them. The distance between the two
places is about eight kilometers. They build new homes in the gardens.”
- Charles Lotukei
Graan’s Bull
“This is Graan’s bull. He is an
elder at the cattle camp in
Lomelan. The old man is
named after this bull. He’s a
famous man there. This bull
has been castrated so that it
can grow fat and heavy. Bulls
selected for praise are treated
this way. An elder admires the
colour of his bull, and so he
praises it. The horns are
burned to bend them, and
then they are tied. There are specialists locally that do this task. Graan’s bull is
healthy.

Every man has a bull. Even I have one. It is named Longoria Lokah. It means
spotted one. Its colour is whitish, yellowish, and blackish. It’s also castrated.”
- Charles Lotukei
A Wealthy Man’s Livestock
“This is Graan, the elder who owns the red bull
in the other photo. These are all his goats. He’s
not very old—he told me that he’s 48 years old.
He’s wealthy. All these animals belong to him.
He has about 46 goats, 18 cows, 7 calves, and
a few sheep, not more than 15. He has no
camels, but he owns two donkeys. He has six
wives. His animals are healthy, as you can see.
He treats their diseases. The Lutheran World
Federation brings drugs and he pays them
using these very goats.

He is also respected because he’s a

peacemaker. He attends the big meetings, even
in Kenya. The Turkana also invite him for peace
meetings because he is their neighbour.”
- Charles Lotukei
Lokolimoe Phillip
Kathile, Uganda
Dodoth
“My name is Lokolimoe Phillip, and I am a
Community-Based Animal Health Worker
(CAHW) for Kathile. I became a CAHW in
1994. Now, I just do this work voluntarily.
I am not paid for it. It’s difficult because
the cattle owners say the prices of the
drugs are fixed, so I don’t get any profit
for selling the drugs. When we had a lot of
rain, it was okay because I was farming,
but now there is not much rain. I only get
blood to drink when I help with the
animals, that’s all.”
Security “The animals are grazing and the
guns are there for security. These
people said that the Jie might come
and attach them. Today, they do not
have their guns because the
government disarmed them. This
picture was taken before
disarmament when the raids were
worse. The Turkana still have their
guns but there is some kind of peace
between them and the Dodoth. The
Turkana raid other people, but not
Dodoth. It is only the Jie that are
disturbing our people. The Jie were
disarmed, but they escaped and ran.
The peace between the Turkana and the Dodoth came last year in 2002. CAPE and the Sub-
County Chiefs helped to create peace by bringing people together from the Turkana and
Dodoth sides. Up to now, there is still peace.
CAHWs can play a role in making peace. We can advise pastoralists about their animals, the
movement of the animals, where they should look for water and pasture. We could advise them
to avoid places where there is an outbreak of disease. When people have healthy animals, they
don’t go for raids. What agitates them to go for raids is when their animals die. They are now
peaceful, even the Turkana, who are in their cattle camps in Kalapata. When your cows are
healthy, what more do you need? You will live.
- Lokolimoe Phillip
Local Market
“This photograph was taken
during the vaccination for
rinderpest. The picture shows
the cattle camp leaders of
Kathile. At this meeting, we
were trying to persuade the
leaders to bring their animals
for vaccination. Even women
were included because they
are also involved in cattle
keeping. The man is a vet
doctor from Kaabong. He is
the one who organized the meeting. He was mobilizing people for the
vaccination. I took the picture to show that these people are concerned about
the health of their animals. They want their animals to be vaccinated against
epidemic diseases.” - Lokolimoe Phillip
Lokol Andrew
Kaabong, Uganda
Dodoth
“I work as a Community-Based Animal Health Worker
(CAHW). In 1993, Dr. Akabwai trained us. Then I was
incorporated into the government veterinary
department as local staff. They elected me because my
father was a CAHW in the early 50s and 60s. I would
stay with him when he was working, and I enjoyed it.
That is the work which made me want to go to school.
My parents educated me and I stopped in senior three,
in 1989. When Akabwai came with his project of
paravets, I decided to join him. I supplied the
pastoralists with many things, including vaccinations
and drugs. So the department identified me as their
own paravet. I’m enjoying this work very much.

Now I am a meat inspector in Kaabong town. I inspect the cows, goats and sheep.
Every day, animals are slaughtered to be sold to the public. It is important that I
ensure that the meat is fit for human consumption, free from diseases, worms and
cysts. Secondly, I was trained in spraying animals and removal of external
parasites like ticks and fleas. I am doing it now for the whole district.”
Vaccination Mobilization
“This photograph was taken at
a local market in Kaplenba
Parish. What you are seeing
are gourds that have sour and
fresh milk inside. There are
also saucepans used for
carrying milk. The people have
brought chickens to the
market for sale. There are
women from the village, not
from town, and at the market
they sit together.

I took this picture because I saw that most of these women had come from the
cattle camp, and the most important thing for me was to look for livestock
people. Most of them had plaited their hair. They had also smeared their hair
with butter oil. They mix it with charcoal and rub it around their head. That’s
why the hair appears black and beautiful. ” - Lokol Andrew
Lokong Augustine
Kaabong, Uganda
Dodoth
“I’m a Community-Based Animal Health Worker
(CAHW) from Kaabong. I like being a CAHW. I like
assisting people. CAHWs are important because
they go where the doctor cannot reach. When you
are a CAHW, you can cross from sub-county to
sub-county treating, where the doctors cannot
reach.

Now I keep animals, but not here where I work.

My relatives look after my animals. I inform them
about vaccination and make sure they are well
taken care of. If there are other diseases, they
have to inform me about the symptoms and not
wait until the animals are about to die. I can then
treat my animal before it is too late.”
Animals out Grazing
“These are animals out
grazing. Different livestock
owners graze their animals
together, but they keep each
group a few metres apart.
They can tell their animals by
the colours and the size and
shape of the horns. They don’t
like to count the numbers.
They say that if you count
them, they will die.”
- Lokong Augustine
Newly Married Woman
“This photo is of a girl who
has just entered her new
home after marrying a man
from this house. She is
supposed to grind sorghum in
the presence of her mother-in-
law. When a girl goes to her
marital home, she is given
sorghum to grind. In
Karamoja, this is one of the
traditions that we observe, it is
a type of initiation. When a
bride joins her husband’s family, she has to abide by their rules. Also, she
cannot return to her own family until she has ground the sorghum and
brewed beer. Then she will be able to return to her maiden home as a
married woman.” - Lokong Augustine
Morning Discussions
“This was taken during the
morning hours in the cattle
camp, when they were planning
the activities of the day. The
man in front is an elder, and he
is talking to the youths,
instructing them where to graze
the animals, and where to find
the grass and water. They are
also warned about places where
the enemies are, and which
areas they should avoid. These
discussions take place every
morning. Different elders advise the youth each morning. The ones who have
returned home from traveling will announce the news from those places.

This picture is important because it shows how members of a cattle camp decide
how to take care of their animals. All these people come from different awi,
homesteads, to contribute ideas and agree on what to do. Then all of them are
informed because they have been together.” - Lokong Augustine
Rinderpest Vaccination
“This is a vaccination camp.
People brought their animals
because they were informed
by the cattle camp leaders.
Over 1000 animals have been
vaccinated for rinderpest. This
crush was built by the
livestock owners. The big
posts came from Oxfam, but
the long ones were found
locally by the people who
wanted their animals treated.

Carrying out vaccinations can be difficult for the animals and their owners. It
can take a long time, and many times, there is no grass or water for the
animals in the area. Sometimes the people have to pay for the service. They
did not pay for this vaccination because it was rinderpest, but they pay for
the others; it costs around 300 Ugandan Shillings.”
- Lokong Augustine
Cattle Market
“This is a cattle market. These
animals have been bought by
traders who will take them to
Mbale or Kampala. After
buying the animals, they tie
them under a tree. Many
people want to sell their
animals. Before, there was no
market here, but now we have
one, and people from Teso
and Mbale come here to buy
animals. The animals for sale
are healthy. When animals are traded in the market like this, they have to be
inspected. The District Veterinary Officer inspects them to make sure that
they are healthy.”” - Lokong Augustine
Crush Construction
“These people are building a
local crush. It is a contribution
from the community. The
people wanted to have a
vaccination. The District
Veterinary Officer mobilized
them, saying,”If you build your
own crush, I will send people
to vaccinate your animals.” So,
many people came together
and participated in its
construction.

It is good to see that they are all active, all contributing. The poles are found
locally and the community cut and fit them by themselves. The people are
not paid for this work; they are just interested in having their animals
vaccinated. - Lokong Augustine
Traditional Dance
“This is a traditional dance
performed by the local people
from the cattle camp after
returning from grazing their
animals. After milking them,
they are now enjoying
themselves. They are praising
their bulls by singing their
songs and jumping. They
dance a few nights every
week, just to enjoy
themselves. The dancing is
also a time for the men to court the ladies. If I sing my song about my bull,
and it becomes better than the other ones, maybe the ladies will appreciate
me.” - Lokong Augustine
Lomodo Nakape
Kotido, Uganda
Dodoth
“I am a Community-Based Animal Health
Worker (CAHW). The community respects
this work because their livelihood depends
on livestock. I am very active in attending to
sick cases. But it is difficult because there
aren’t enough veterinary drugs or transport,
and some people don’t pay for the drugs. I
enjoy it though. Now that I am a CAHW, my
brothers take care of my livestock.

I am a pastoralist, but I am in town visiting

today. I usually dress in traditional clothes,
but in town, I must be in a shirt and trousers. This was a declaration passed
by the government during disarmament to identify those who hide guns
under their clothes when in town. Right now, the army is not on good terms
with the civilians because some groups think they haven’t been fairly
treated. Some clans feel that other clans are better protected than they are.
I had a gun but I returned it to the government. ”
Adakar Construction
“This person is settling near
the vaccination crush after all
his cattle have been
vaccinated. He is making an
adakar, or cattle camp. It is
important to make a good
cattle camp to keep away
predators such as hyenas, and
thieves. Inside the cattle
camp, he will build temporary
houses for shelter. This photo
shows how we migrate and
settle temporarily.”
- Lomodo Nakape
CBPP
“These are people treating a cow
suffering from contagious bovine
pleuropneumonia (CBPP). It was
the only sick animal in the herd.
We knew it was CBPP because the
cow wasn’t eating and it was
coughing. There is a vaccine
against CBPP, but this cow hadn’t
received it. It contracted the
disease because it has not been
vaccinated. The CBPP vaccination
is supposed to be annual, but we
haven’t done one for three years.
People pay for the vaccinations and treatment. For a cow sick with CBPP, it costs
between 200 and 1000 Ugandan Shillings. Most people are willing to pay. If they don’t
have cash, they can pay later, but some pretend that their animal died after treatment
so they don’t have to pay, and so we lose money. In this area, livestock owners are
mostly concerned about anaplasmosis, East Coast Fever, CBPP and rinderpest, but
rinderpest has been eradicated. Right now, anaplasmosis is the biggest problem
because it comes from ticks. We can spray the animals to prevent it, but most livestock
owners don’t want to have their cows sprayed.”
- Lomodo Nakape
Kotido Livestock Market
“Here, people are selling their
livestock in a market in Kotido
town. In this market, the animals
are not usually inspected and
certified. Both sick and healthy
animals are here. CBPP is common
in the animals sold here. In this
market, a healthy bull costs
approximately 200,000 Ugandan
Shillings while a sick one costs
only 40,000 Ugandan Shillings.
Livestock owners don’t want to
exclude sick animals from the
markets, even though they don’t fetch much money. Those who bring animals to the
Kotido market are mainly Jie, Dodoth and even people from other tribes, both from
near and far. People mostly send sick animals to the market because they can’t find any
cure for the disease back home, or they are too sick to be treated. Rather than let them
die and go to waste, they try to earn some money from the market.

Sometimes people can get sick when they eat this meat. We try to make sure the meat
is cooked properly though. The sick animals mostly stay in Kotido, and the healthy ones
are taken to Mbale. - Lomodo Nakape
Engagement Dance
“These people are performing
a traditional dance at a place
called Nakapelimoru. They are
dancing because they are
happy. A suitor is proposing to
a lady in this place. We also
dance just for normal
recreation, but the feathers,
bracelets and colorful beads
clearly indicate that it is an
engagement dance. I wanted
to show other people how we
dance in our place, and that people in our community are happy, beautiful and
well-decorated.” - Lomodo Nakape
Lomodo Nakape
Kalapata, Uganda
Dodoth
“I have been a Community-Based Animal
Health Worker (CAHW) since 1996. The
people chose me because they know that I
am capable and I would help control
livestock diseases. I am educated, but they
also know that I understand animals. The
government trained me. I stay in Kalapata. I
like being a CAHW because I get some
knowledge about animals and I live with the
community. CAHWs are close to the
community and the animals, so it is quite
good.”
Sleeping Skin
“This man is drying a skin to
use for sleeping. The skin
takes three days to dry and
then he will shape it with a
knife until it becomes round.
Everyone has a skin for
sleeping when they are out in
the pastures with their
animals.”
- Louren Barnabas
Local Council Peace Dialogue
“These are warriors and the
local councilors discussing
peace. I took this photo
because peace is very
important to the people. If
peace is not there, there is
nothing because everyone will
be killing one another.”

- Louren Barnabas
Retaliation
“All these people are armed. I
took this photo just after a raid
and people were running after
the raiders. The enemies had
stolen some cows from their
camp. When they followed the
tracks, they found the enemies
were not there. People gathered
together talking about the raid,
and deciding what to do.
Lorikirip, the cattle camp leader,
was directing them. They
discussed how to control the area, and then went to look for their cows. They found
their animals and recovered them after a fight.

That time there was no peace between the Dodoth and the Turkana but now they
are at peace because of sensitization by Akabwai, the government, churches,
KOPEIN, and Pokotusa. If most of them stay together while grazing their animals in
the same place, that peace will last. Now, they graze their animals together. They
even share watering points in the same areas.
- Louren Barnabas
Nakwanguria Loiyamoi
Achorchor, Uganda
Upe
“My name is Nakwangoria Loiyamoi and I
come from Achorchor. I keep livestock
and I dig wells for watering my livestock
during the dry season. I have four wives
and many children. That is what is most
exciting to me; having a family and
having paid bridewealth.

I visit other places when I am invited for

peace meetings. I am always traveling, to
Moroto, Nakapiripirit, and Turkanaland.”
Peace Meeting “These people are attending a peace
meeting organized by the NGO,
Pokotusa. It was a happy occasion
because there was peace. People
were discussing how they could live
in harmony, in an environment
where there is peace. It was a
meeting between the Pokot and the
Pian of Uganda. People resolved to
stop killing one another senselessly.
They also prayed for God to change
the hearts of the two communities to
work for peace and save future
generations. They testified that the
harm already caused by the spear
and the gun is enormous, and there must be deliberate efforts to prevent this in future.
Important elders that can make decisions in both communities do not exist because they were
killed in raids.
It is worth saying that after this meeting, there was peace for a year. However, right now,
there are signs of wrongdoing and conflict is about to start. The peace was broken by incidents
of theft. Initially, we managed it by returning the stolen animals. However, as time went by,
theft increased beyond our control. At the moment, many thieves are at large. The initiators of
theft were the Bokora, followed by Pian and the Pokot eventually joined in.
- Nakwanguria Loiyamoi
Commemorative Feast
“This is in Achorchor. The men
are taking part in a traditional
feast to mark a peace
meeting. Pokotusa provided
the bull that was slaughtered
for the occasion. This was a
follow-up meeting to the
Pokot-Pian peace meeting.
The slaughtering of the bull
was a sign of togetherness
and readiness to share
information in a transparent
manner.”
- Nakwanguria Loiyamoi
Lotikori Yarakal
“I am about 70 years old. I have seven
wives and very many children. When I was
young and the Italians were present here, I
used to stay in Kenya. Then, the British
forced us back to Ethiopia. When the
Italians left, I was still young but soon after,
I joined the raiding expeditions. I became
famous and was promoted to a troop
leader. We had guns that we had acquired
from the Italians, which we would use to
raid the Borana. Then, we began raiding the
Turkana during the year of Achila. He was a
famous Turkana man killed by the Merille.
Since then, the Merille and the Turkana have been raiding one another.

I became a chief in 1986 when the Ethiopian government was trying to

organize civilian leadership structures. My community suggested that I should
be their chief. The first thing I tried to do was to stop people from going for
raids. I tried to mediate for peace.”
Commemorative Feast
“This is my friend. My son is
getting engaged to his daughter
and the negotiations are about to
be finalized. He is soon going to
be my in-law. He is dressed
smartly because this is a
ceremony where his daughter will
be permitted to move into my
son’s homestead. Bulls, goats and
sheep have been slaughtered for
the feast. There is dancing as
well. This ceremony happened last
year.

Despite being allowed to stay together, several other rituals have to be performed before
the couple can live as man and wife. The rituals are still going on and so the two are not yet
together. The girl’s father will continue dressing like this until the engagement is finalized at
the end of this month. After this, I will pay the bridewealth to the family and she will be
officially released to my son. The bridewealth here is only 50 heads of cattle, which can be
paid in installments. It is taking a long time because the girl is still young. She is circumcised
though, and so she will be able to stay with my son. A lady cannot be married if she is not
circumcised. Circumcision takes place just before girls begin menstruating .
- Lotikori Yarakal
Migration of Lopeikit’s Cattle Camp
“This photograph shows the
migration of Lopeikit’s cattle
camp. They are migrating
from Lochuch to the other side
of the river where there is
plenty of water and pasture,
and raids by the Turkana are
uncommon.

Migrations are not predictable.

We can always come back to
Lochuch when we want. We
used to move as far as Lomogol, Lokamarinyang, Meyan and Kokuro. This was
when there was peace. Today, we are forced to stay close to Lochuch and the
river Omo because we fear raids. - Lotikori Yarakal
Warrior “This man is a warrior. He is wearing
the skin of a goat to signify this
status. After killing a person, one
comes home and slaughters a buck.
Then one wears its skin after
decorating it. When one kills a
person, they need to be cleansed to
keep away bad omens. That is why
we wear the skin. If he ignores this
ritual, he is likely to be killed if he
participates in another raid.

If one participates in many raids and

doesn’t kill someone, then they are
considered weak. In the past, going
for a raid and killing someone was a sign of manhood, but we are trying to change that. We have
been trying to talk to the youth to shun the habit of going to steal or raid, but they remain
adamant because they have guns. The only way to reduce and eventually eliminate this habit
among the youth is to take away the gun from them.

It is the responsibility of elders to make sure the youth behave. Provincial administration,
especially the chiefs, needs to be involved at some stage of the discussions to assert the
government’s stand on peace.
- Lotikori Yarakal
Lopeikit Lomala
“I was born at Kokuro, Kenya. I came here
when the raids between the Turkana and
Merille started, 20-25 years ago. I used to
go raiding against the Turkana when I was
a youth. I stopped, though, once I became
occupied with family issues. I have four
wives, but that’s not the limit. I have many
children also, but I still want more.

The government appointed me as a Chief

many years ago. It’s difficult to be a Chief,
because there are so many problems to
solve. You have to deal with your own
family, and the whole community. The
community suffers a lot from famine and
raids, and needs advice on livestock
management and other things.”
Protection
“The person in the photo is my
relative. His name is Kiita and
he is a herder. He uses the gun
to protect his livestock against
wild game and raiders. When
there is lasting peace, there is
no need for a gun. We can
willingly surrender the guns to
the government. One gets a
gun when even when he’s just
an adolescent. It’s not a big
deal, it is just like buying
anything.”
- Lopeikit Lomala
Hair Dressing
“These people are dressing
their hair with special mud and
ochre. The wire coils we use on
our hair are made from thin
metal rods that we buy from
the shops. It is only elders who
wear their hair like this. There
are expert hairdressers. There
are also different hairstyles for
each age group. However, the
patterns have remained the
same over time. You scar your
body when you have killed a dangerous wild animal, like a lion, or a person.
It’s important to take care of your appearance. Young men dress well to attract
ladies; elders do the same because they may want to marry another wife.”

- Lopeikit Lomala
Search for Pasture
“The person in this photo is looking
after my cattle. He herded the
animals where pasture was
available. It was a whole day’s
journey to the place, but the grass
was not enough. We had to move
to Lomogol after a few days, but
then the Turkana became hostile
towards us. They did not want us
to share pasture with them
because they regard us as their
enemies. They pushed us back to
Lochuch.
The Merille and Turkana elders negotiate for grazing areas, but it is always a short-lived
agreement. It is apparent that so many animals will crowd that area after a short time.
Pasture and water become scarce and quarrels then start leading to fights. The Turkana
have an advantage over the Merille because the areas belong to them. The Merille are
pushed back to the drier area and this exacerbates the suffering of livestock and
humans. The real issues dividing Turkana and Merille are pasture and water. When we
are not sharing these resources, the situation becomes volatile and raiding is likely to
occur.”
- Lopeikit Lomala