On Kenya's climate frontline, female farmers are building a secure future

Published in The Guardian newspaper on 16 November 2015, this article reports on the EU-funded Samburu Pastoral Livelihoods Improvement Programme, implemented by World Vision, which is helping women to provide for their families and build communities’ resilience to climate change. As global warming increases the frequency of extreme weather events, such as droughts and floods, Samburu District is on a climate frontline that runs through northern Kenya.

The article also reports on a visit to the region in September by European Commissioner, Neven Mimica, at which he announced the launch of the EU funded Maternal and Child Nutrition programme. This four year programme is implemented in partnership with Kenya’s Ministry of Health (MoH) and UNICEF. The €19-million programme targets nine counties including Samburu, to support deprived communities in Kenya’s arid and semi-arid lands.

In a report published in October 2015, Human Rights Watch warned that climate change, as well as regional development projects, are threatening the health and livelihoods of indigenous people in the neighbouring Turkana region.