Kenyan pastoral communities embrace fishing

Isiolo, Kenya — Kenya's nomadic herders are among those suffering the most from recurring drought that kills the livestock on which they depend. To make them less dependent on rain, aid programs are teaching herders how to farm fish and keep bees. Makay Mamo, 39, feeds the tilapia fish in her pond, in Kinna ward, Isiolo county, Kenya. For the last two years, she has been raising fish on her farm, a break from the community's pastoral lifestyle. This change has served her well. As the county deals with a devastating drought that threatens the lives of 2 million people, she has food on her table and surplus for the market. During the drought, she says, people can't buy food in the market and all the goats are too thin. But with fish, she says, it's different. Fish only need the pond water, she says, so catching a big fish lets people feed their families. The idea was introduced to Isiolo, a county in the northern part of Kenya, in 2019 by the county government in collaboration with ...