Simon Wachira, Communications Manager at the Pastoralist Community Initiative and Development Assistance (PACIDA) in Kenya, submitted this story on how his organisation is responding to the worst drought in 40 years. PACIDA is a development and humanitarian organisation that empowers pastoralist communities through sustainable community-driven development interventions.
A woman participates in PACIDA’s sustainable livelihoods programme.
We have never been this stretched as an organisation. The needs are immense and very diverse: food donation; water trucking; nutritional supplements for children and lactating mothers; and livestock feed to save the remaining stock.
Communities are desperately reaching out to us from every corner of the county as we are the most recognisable humanitarian organisation in Marsabit County.
Virtually every resident has been left exposed to food shortages, livelihoods loss and vulnerability to mental health challenges.
It is not humanly possible to address every need and it can be frustrating, even to the strongest, when the need is a basic survival resource like drinking water.
The drought comes while residents are yet to recover from other disruptive disasters such as the recent locust invasion and the Covid-19 pandemic. The Russian-Ukraine war has led to high food and fuel prices and shortages of essential commodities in Kenya, leaving the poor and vulnerable communities severely exposed.
January 2023 data from the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) puts malnutrition at over 30 per; farmers have lost 80 percent of their herds; 90 percent of open water sources are depleted; there are increasing cases of inter-communal conflicts as drought and desperation rages.
The PACIDA team distributing emergency relief supplies.
Tiigo School pupils taking part in the “Greening Marsabit” initiative.
We don’t get direct funding from donors. We get funding through partners as well as intermediaries. We would wish to get direct funding as it would allow us to respond more quickly.
Our theory of change is anchored on working with target communities to identify development challenges and design interventions; as well as collaboration with other stakeholders to address these challenges. All PACIDA interventions are based on the Humanitarian-Development-Peace nexus approach.
PACIDA was founded in 2008 by local scholars and development practitioners who were concerned about the huge humanitarian needs, communities’ vulnerabilities, and development gaps in arid and semi-arid regions.
Registered as an NGO in Kenya, PACIDA’s programmatic interventions consistently target the arid and semi-arid counties of Marsabit, Samburu and Isiolo. The organisation’s emergency interventions have recently also targeted Turkana and West Pokot Counties. The organisation also targets Southern Ethiopia where it is registered to operate.
PACIDA’s work is hinged on five key areas: Sustainable Livelihoods Development; WASH; Education; Peace, Conflict Management & Governance; and Disaster Risk Reduction & Climate Change Adaptation.
I do this work out of my conviction and desire to make the world a better place. I am happier when championing the rights and needs of vulnerable people so that they get support.
As a communication expert, it gives me great satisfaction when I tell real people’s stories that enable them to benefit from interventions and support. I am, for instance, encouraged that I have pushed for media coverage of the drought crisis in Kenya and some communities are benefiting from interventions. I am also incredibly happy when I tell stories of change: before and after. It reminds me of the immortal words of Martin Luther King Jr: “Life's most persistent and urgent question is, what are you doing for others?
For more information about us, please visit www.pacida.org
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