Hello, my name is Nakaka. I am a 74-year-old woman who was born and raised in the northern region of Kenya. I am from a nomadic pastoral family that constantly moves in search of water and pasture for our livestock and ourselves.
Growing up, I spent my childhood herding our family's livestock and didn't have the opportunity to pursue a formal education. After my teenage years, I was initiated into adulthood and then married off to a man chosen by my family. Since then, I have dedicated my life to raising my children, taking care of my husband, and caring for our livestock.
My family and community rely heavily on livestock as our main source of livelihood. Unfortunately, due to climate change-induced droughts, our economic situation has taken a turn for the worse. In a recent drought, we lost all of our livestock, which has made it difficult for me to provide for my family. I currently rely on scarce manual jobs within the community to put food on the table.
As a result, I am kindly requesting support from any well-wishers in the form of capacity building on climate-smart agriculture, livestock restocking, and insurance premiums for the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF). This support will enable my family and me to access improved food security, better nutrition, and much-needed healthcare, which will improve the quality of our lives.