Honey, Camels, Silk – Income Generators

Interviewee

Paul Losute

CABESI Assistant Project Leader

Interviewers

Alison M. Jones

NWNL Director and Photographer

Bonnie Muench

Photographer and Book Designer

In Kapenguria, Kenya on January 14, 2013

Introductory Note

On meeting Paul, I was interested to know how he, as a northern Kenyan, became involved with Rolf Gloor, a Swiss NGO entrepreneur who started CABESI to support livelihoods in the arid lands of the Turkana people. Paul’s response was inspiring.

“I like dealing with people, and when I see programs succeeding, that’s my joy. Given my deep concern for these local communities, what really drove me to CABESI, is that this area is rich in resources that had not yet been recognized or tapped. Being part of this effort gives me income and has changed my life – as well as the lives of others.

This work with CABESI is very challenging. Out of 500 households, maybe only 10 people, or at most 20, have gone to school. The rest of the population is illiterate. But CABISI’s local success in changing lives is a driving force to change all that.”

Outline

PAUL’S ROLE at CABESI
HONEY as a TURKANA ALTERNATIVE
CAMELS as a TURKANA ALTERNATIVE
The NEED for a CASH ECONOMY
LAKE WATER LEVELS

Key Quote Our CABESI honey business improves both this arid environment and many Turkana lives, as some can now buy more cows; some can now send their kids to school; and some can now pay their medical bills…. We feel camels and beekeeping are the best cash-economy alternatives that suit these arid and semi-arid lands – Paul Losute

PAUL’S ROLE at CABESI

NWNL Paul, it’s nice to meet you. Tell us about your work with Rolf Gloor at CABESI.

PAUL LOSUTE I’ve worked with CABESI for 7 years. The project began in 2004 with three main objectives. One is to promote beekeeping in West Pokot region. Honey – while an invaluable and traditional resource here – hasn’t been utilized to its potential. Our objective to promote beekeeping as an income-generating activity uses this region’s natural resource. From 2004-6, we focused on community mobilization to sensitize the people, sell the idea, and explain they can be paid for this. Then we sought a good market and made sure ours was the highest quality honey. By 2006, we had trained farmers on honey quality, hygienic harvesting in a hygienic way, and how they could add value with training. To facilitate these operations, we then constructed honey collection-center points. Both men and women work at our 6 collection centers in the Pokot region. Women are now also able to have beehives.

The honey is accessed by using an extractor to separate the combs from the liquid honey. In addition to processing honey, we’ve also taught our men and women how to make raw beeswax, as another way to improve their livelihoods. We now have 4,000 farmers that sell their honey to our collection centers. These beneficiaries have families and, as is normal in this society, they have 3, 4 or 5 wives. Our CABESI honey business improves both this arid environment and many Turkana lives, as some can now buy more cows; some can now send their kids to school; and some can now pay their medical bills.

HONEY as a TURKANA ALTERNATIVE

NWNL Besides being here to enjoy your honey, No Water No Life came here to investigate the concerns or impacts due to Lake Turkana’s water level being lowered by Ethiopia’s new dams and newly-irrigated huge sugar and cotton plantations. If Ethiopia’s new initiatives significantly lower Turkana’s water levels – thus impacting people’s livelihoods – can CABESI use its income-producing initiatives to help people on Lake Turkana’s shores?

PAUL LOSUTE I think beekeeping is the best income-generating activity in such arid and semi-arid lands. Now, people are asking about our promoting beekeeping along Lake Turkana, as well as up here on the slopes of Mt Elgon. Beekeeping would be very successful in Lake Turkana. We just need to sell the idea and devise the best beekeeping methods for that location.

NWNL What challenges might there be in getting people involved?

PAUL LOSUTE Among those pastoralists, beekeeping is quite traditional, so anywhere you go there will be a beehive somewhere – maybe not many; but traditional beekeeping is very important to almost all pastoralists. Their tradition of enjoying honey beer at their ceremonies requires beekeeping. Every important ceremony must be graced by beer. For instance, before you ask a girl’s parents for her hand in marriage, you must prepare honey beer to take to them.

People with beehives around Turkana are respected. However, the Turkana have never commercialized their honey for income purposes. Our challenge now is how to centralize their honey collection and find best methods to make their honey successfully commercial.

NWNL I hear that, traditionally, pastoralists never had a cash economy. So, this approach must be a big change for them.

PAUL LOSUTE Years ago, pastoralists depended mostly on their animals, but that itself has changed. The vast lands that livestock used to roam are disappearing, so clans now demarcate their land. Thus, any livestock migration now is causing conflict and cattle theft. Sadly, they are using more sophisticated weapons than before. So, the local Turkana dependence on livestock is greatly threatened. That now makes beekeeping a critical and economically valuable option for them.

As an alternative, beekeeping doesn’t need much space, or migration to find water or pasture. Bees don’t require either the investment or the management that livestock requires. Bees care for themselves, whereas livestock needs to be led to pasture and water. Bees only require an initial expenditure to set up hives. There are no other expenditures. All you do for income is harvest the honey.

Since beekeeping is not alien to pastoralism, they usually teach me more than I teach them. I’ve learned much from them. Very importantly, bees protect the environment, because trees are needed for the bees. I see the best future in these arid and semi-arid lands is through beekeeping – as well as camels.

CAMELS as a TURKANA ALTERNATIVE

NWNL What are the advantages camels bring to this arid region?

PAUL LOSUTE Camels are “drought resistant” since they feed on leaves, not grass that cows and goats eat, thus causing soil erosion. Camels need little water, which helps with the water-scarcity issues you mention. Camels are also useful for transport, something our Pokot and Turkana pastoralists have lacked – unlike the Samburu and Somali pastoralists who adopted camels as an important means of transport. Camels’ soft feet also protect the environment and save the soil much better than cattle’s sharp hooves.

Basically, camels’ lives are drought-resistant; their milk is very nutritious; and one camel can be milked for almost 3 years, unlike a cow. Plus, you can milk a camel many times a day, so one camel can feed a whole family. As well, camel meat is a valuable nutritional addition to a family, and camel hair is used for textiles and warmth. With all those benefits, it’s understandable that a camel can be sold for double or more than that than for a cow. So, that is why I see bees and camels as the future of arid and semi-arid lands.

NWNL How do you promote CABESI’s bee and camel businesses here on slopes below Mt Elgon. Geographically speaking, could you spread it to those living around Lake Turkana?

PAUL LOSUTE Initially, CABESI’s first effort in this region was to introduce a better breed of camels from Samburu. We gave them to groups and some individual farmers. But some of these groups disintegrated after a while. Their keepers would move away, taking the camels with them. It has been very difficult to follow up on those camels.

Now we have a new strategy that I believe will work. We plan to establish a common Camel Husbandry Center, where camels will be kept, cared for, trained for transport, and finally slaughtered for the meat. The center, located now at Kitchen Without Borders facilities, will provide education on camel health, and drugs will be available there. Interested farmers will be offered subsidized prices, all the information and help they need, and finally can also sell their camels here. This place will be a center of excellence, providing everything needed regarding camel husbandry and use. These camels can be given to community members who can then sell camel-milk they don’t need back to the center.

So, yes, we believe the same can be done in Turkana, especially since around Lodwar and Lake Turkana since the Turkanas are more familiar with camels than the Pokots. Among the Pokots, camels are still seen as strange, but the Turkanas adopted camels long ago. Historically, the first camels the Pokots saw or had were those they stole from the Turkanas, The Turkanas are more aware and familiar with camels than the Pokots, so our program can quickly succeed very in Turkana.

The NEED for a CASH ECONOMY

NWNL It seems there’s a need to integrate a cash economy in Lake Turkana today, even though the people here have subsisted for generations without it. Otherwise, what would be the future for the Turkana people, given that their land is arid and quite degraded, and water will become more and more scarce? It does seem they need to be trained and taught how to start a cash economy.

PAUL LOSUTE It is very crucial now, especially in arid and semi-arid lands and in the years to come, that pastoralists be engaged in a cash economy – what we call income-generating activities. As the saying goes, “Don’t give a man a fish; instead, teach him how to fish for himself.” That applies here now, especially given the current global problem we face with climate change, population increase and demarcations of what used to be a free land.

Kenya now has a new Constitution, with county governments being given more power over land. People can say, “This is my region, so you cannot cross over. So, people need to think of ways to promote their income, especially in pastoralist regions and arid lands of Turkana and West Pokot. The Turkana communities must now think of cash crops. That’s a very tall order because there is practically no water here, so they need money to provide water for their plants. CABESI feels camels and beekeeping are the best cash-economy alternatives that suit these arid and semi-arid lands – home to Turkana, Pokot and other pastoralist groups.

LAKE WATER LEVELS

PAUL LOSUTE In 2007, when I first went to Lake Turkana’s Eliye Springs, the water level was okay. The population near there was small. There was only a small village and a school. When I went back a year later, the population had grown. There were more houses and the water level was lower. But in 2009, I saw the lowest water level. The lake had receded, and there were even more homes. I knew this right on arrival, because more kids came to see me each time. In February 2012 I went back, and the water had returned to a nearly full level. Meanwhile, despite changing water levels, the human population keeps on increasing.

NWNL Paul, you and the entire CABESI crew are doing yeoman’s work and making a difference. Your model seems to be applicable around the entire lake – despite the cultural differences of the tribes in this arid region. Congratulations and best of luck!

Posted by NWNL on May 23, 2024.
Transcription edited and condensed for clarity by Alison M. Jones.

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