Education
Pastoral communities in Laikipia County have been encouraged to embrace education in order to improve their lives. Area Senator John Kinyua said that pastoralists relying on livestock suffered the brunt of climate change hence leaving them in abject poverty.
Kinyua spoke at Naibunga conservancy where more than 130 students benefitted with over Sh3 million bursaries courtesy of Northern Rangeland Trust (NRT). ”We will work with anyone willing to support the education of our children because after livestock were wiped out by drought, education still remains. Parents let’s prioritize education and take our children to school,” advised the senator.
Naibunga conservancy chairman Peter Kilesi said that the bursaries initiative was meant to promote education in the pastoral areas and shun early marriages among girls. ” A majority of people don’t have money to educate their children and as a result, there is high school dropout. For girls they get married off and boys involved in cattle rustling,” said Kilesi
He revealed that, as a way to promote education, the community set aside some funds generated by carbon credit thanks to their conservation effort including rational grazing, pasture reseeding among others.
On her part, a Naibunga resident Josephine Mamai pointed out that the funds received from rangeland conservation management had boosted most pastoral families’ livelihoods and area parents were keen on educating their children.