Reflections by Lynn Kimmel
It was an early February morning when Peter, David, and I set out on our long journey north from Nanyuki, over rough and bumpy terrain, to Baragoi, in the El Barta region of Samburu North. We were on a field trip, to meet with local Samburu and Turkana communities. Our goal was to discuss conservation and its benefits, and to gain community support for the creation of the Grevy’s Zebra Trust’s El Barta Conservation Council, and the development of a new community conservancy for the El Barta region.
The El Barta plains
While I had the feeling of exhilaration, I also felt some trepidation for this expedition. While the El Barta region is a critical habitat for approximately 100 Grevy’s zebra, the area has been known for ethnic violence due to livestock raiding. Over the last several months, however, the communities had enjoyed a relative calm, and livestock raiding had mostly quieted. The local Grevy’s field team, including Peter, our Field Director, Rikapo, our Regional Coordinator, Julius, our Conservation Programs Officer, and two of our local Ambassadors, Micho and Lojore, decided to take this window of opportunity to meet with the local Samburu and Turkana communities.
Any fears I had quickly subsided, as the chiefs, elders, and community members warmly welcomed us. In a traditional group setting, we were able to discuss the ecological importance of the Grevy’s zebra and other wildlife in the El Barta region, and connect effective stewardship of natural resources to the cultural and economic sustainability of their tribes. As a result of our conversations, each community elected two representatives, an elder and a warrior, to the new El Barta Conservation Council, which will hold its first meeting in May. The elders recognized that the newly appointed representatives would be providing valuable information about conservation to their respective communities. After more discussions, the elders from both tribes became open to the establishment of the El Barta Conservancy which is being spearheaded by the Samburu County government.
After each community meeting, I had the opportunity to speak with the elders in small groups and discuss the challenges and opportunities of the future. Across the board, I heard their desires for education, job creation, and cultural sustainability, including natural resource management. An opportunity for sustainable peace is finding common ground between the Samburu and Turkana. Grevy’s Zebra Trust has taken a very important first step – enabling conservation to be a potential bridge to peace.
Amani! (Meaning peace in Kiswahili)
