Drought 2022
Drought in Namuncha 2022
For the fourth year running the winter rains that keep the grass growing in the arid areas have failed. The rain that has fallen in Namuncha has not refreshed the water table. When the expected rain did not come at all in September and October, the grass died, and the shrubs on the floor of the Rift Valley withered.
The cows, then the sheep and then the goats became weak and lost flesh. The house-cow did not give milk. Women travelled to the nearby town to buy milk. To the Maasai, their animals are their currency, and their flock or herd is their capital. It is, as if, the lack of rain experienced in Europe this summer (2022) resulted in a corresponding drop in our bank accounts.
The cows, then the sheep and then the goats became weak and lost flesh. The house-cow did not give milk. Women travelled to the nearby town to buy milk. To the Maasai, their animals are their currency, and their flock or herd is their capital. It is, as if, the lack of rain experienced in Europe this summer (2022) resulted in a corresponding drop in our bank accounts.
Whilst more and more households are growing various crops when the drought comes irrigation stops and produce dies with the grass.
Two other factors are beyond their control. The modernisation of Sub-Saharan Africa has enclosed and developed land that was a potential pasture. The second affects us all, climate change, the climate emergency. The Maasai have a carbon-zero way of life. Their traditional way of living with nature is in danger because the so-called developed world has depleted their resources. They die while we trim our excesses. Their reward for living in balance with nature is extinction.
As soon as the Community recognised the impending problem of lack of food and resources to buy they started to make plans to buy food in bulk. They calculated that they could buy sufficient maize and beans and water for £40 to feed a family of between 3 and 5 persons for one month. The programme would need to operate for two months. If it rained tomorrow, it would take 6 to 8 weeks for there to be sufficient grass for the cows to feed upon.
They pooled their own resources and advertised into their networks for more support.
As the food stocks arrived they sang their hymn for help.