| dc.description.abstract | This study sought to inquire into the indigenous modes of
coping with drought and famine among the nomadic Turkana of
northwestern Kenya. The study was carried out during the
1979-80 drought and famine period.
The findings were that the Turkana nomads possess a
repertoire of adaptive strategies which stand out in their
boldest relief in times of economic hardship. This study found
that migration, splitting families and the search for allies were
the dominant modes of adaptation. The allies sought out included
traders, kinsmen, affines, bond-friends, neighbours and the
school.
The study found out that the adaptive strategies aimed at
augmenting existing domestic food supplies by looking for nonpastoral
food sources. At the same time, where possible,
families were split and some of the members sent away to relatives,
friends or the school in order to ease the consumption pressure
on available household food reserves. The process thus helped
to slough off population from the pastoral sector.
The factors which seemed to have determined the scope and
effectiveness of the adaptive choices were the physical,
social and economic environment. The Yapakuno who inhabited
a more hostile and isolated environment suffered more severely
while the Ngissiger of the more richly endowed environment
escaped almost w1scathed.
It was further found out that the economically active part
of the population (10-59 years age bracket) coped better with
the drought and famine than the young (0-9 years old) and the
aged (above 60 years). Thus the weak faced the greatest jeopardy. | en |
