Nomadic populations
Nomadic pastoralists live in some of the harshest and most isolated areas in Africa. They are often beyond the reach of any public services.
They move around in search of pasture for their livestock, central to their livelihoods and the basis of their culture. Traditional leadership is strong. Communities are often wary of outsiders until local leaders have been brought on board for a project and trust has been established.
Women have a low social status. They are often, though not universally, subjected to harmful traditional practices such as female genital mutilation, wife inheritance, and many taboos around pregnancy and childbirth that can increase the risk of unfavorable maternal outcomes.
However, not all traditional practices are harmful. As a result of their isolation, pastoralists have become exceedingly self-sufficient and have a number of traditional healing practices that are beneficial to people’s health.
Rather than encouraging nomads to stay in one place, AMREF develops innovative solutions better adapted to traditional lifestyles. We train community health workers from among the nomadic groups and provide mobile health clinics along migratory routes.
Nomadic pastoralists often have low literacy rates due to lack of educational facilities. Taking this into account, AMREF uses picture-led health education materials. We also make sure that these materials are culturally specific and relevant for the people they are intended to serve.
Livestock is of paramount importance to nomadic communities, so AMREF ensures that water is provided for both human beings and animals.
AMREF works with nomadic pastoralists in Turkana and Kajiado in Kenya, and South Omo and Afar in Ethiopia.
Projects and stories
- South Omo pastoralist health program, Ethiopia
- Afar malaria prevention and control, Ethiopia
- Turkana, Kenya
