Telling the ECSA Story

  In March 2020, the first case of COVID-19 was detected in Kenya. Soon, the pandemic that was sweeping through the globe started spreading in Kenya. As lockdowns were put in place to stem its spread, many people moved to rural areas and inadvertently spread the virus to areas like Mandera where healthcare services are sparse, were stretched. The porous borders between the county and neighboring countries also saw a rise in COVID-19 numbers. On 22 nd April 2020 movement into and out of Mandera was restricted by the National Government health Cabinet Secretary after it became the fifth county in the country to report a spike in COVID numbers. Everything was closed including schools and only essential services were left operational. To combat the spread of the virus, CARE International in Kenya through the Building Opportunities for Resilience in the Horn of Africa (BORESHA) program sought innovative ways to raise awareness. “With some contingency funds in the program, we were able to

  Khadija Ahmed at the water point at Ashabito, in Mandera. Prior to the drilling of the borehole and operationalization of the pump, the community would have to access water from a waterpan that was also used by cattle and other animals. this exposed them to waterborne diseases like typhoid and cholera. (CARE/ David Mutua) Mandera County is one of the most water insecure counties in Kenya as indicated in the County Government’s 2021 fiscal strategy paper. Perennial droughts and the hot climatic conditions in the county have worsened the situation. In a survey conducted by Rural Agency for Community Development and Assistance (RACIDA) in February 2021, only 49.3% of all households surveyed reported accessing water from safe improved, or semi-improved water points. In Ashabito location, which has been one of the area's hardest hit, Senior Chief Jele Ali explains, “From the colonial days this area has always been quite dry. We used to have two dams which have since dried.” Located in

  Natural Resource Management (NRM)  clearing weeds on a field enclosed for future grazing. CARE/David Mutua On the border between Kenya and Ethiopia, in Eymolo location, Banisa sub-county of Mandera, Aden Ibrahim and members of the Natural Resource Management (NRM) - group he chairs - go about clearing weeds on one of the group’s two enclosures. As a predominantly pastoralist society, the community in Banisa heavily relies on available pasture for the survival of their livestock. “Management of land and pasture through the establishment of such enclosures is key. We live in a semi-arid region, and we experience frequent droughts and little rainfall, and this causes animals to die due to lack of pasture,” Aden says. Camels searching for food in Eymolo, Banisa sub-county of Mandera County. CARE/David Mutua Rangeland management is critical in ensuring that pasture in the pasture lands are not degraded due to overgrazing. It is the practice of preserving sections of pasture to regenerat

  Mandera County is one of the driest regions in Kenya characterized by days of harsh and intense sunlight. But along the Daua River, water puns, and some of the arable lands a lush green shrub has dominated the landscape giving a false impression of the actual situation on the ground. Considered one of the most aggressive invasive plant species Prosopis Juliflora – locally referred to as Mathenge – has thrived in this dry and hot region as it requires very little water. According to the Kenya Ministry of Environment, the plant – Wh ich is native to South America – was introduced to the Arid and Semi-Arid Land counties in Kenya like Mandera in the 1970s for honey production, shade, windbreak, firewood, building poles among other uses.   Ali Faril holds dried Prosopis pods as Mohamed Osman places some pods into the grinder where they are crushed making them digestible for cattle at Neboi location. If consumed uncrushed, the Prosopis pods are deadly to livestock and can cause death.