NOMADIC CHILDREN IN KENYA: EXAMINING THE PLACE OF SOCIAL WORK IN THE CONFLICT-LIVELIHOOD-VULNERABILITY INTERFACE

Abstract

Nomadic pastoralists of Kenya occupy the drylands of the country that make up roughly 80 per cent of the total land area. The defining attributes of these areas include soil moisture deficiency, ethnic conflict and food insecurity. Nomadic pastoralism, the local mainstay is challenged by the cross-pollination of environmental vagrancy, ethnic conflict and poor social services. This subjects children to perennial mobility in the rangelands and, hence, hard-to-reach with social services. The migration increases children’s vulnerability and exposes them to conditions that are counterproductive to their growth and development. Consequently, the children are unable to access quality social services including water, health, education and food. This increases their vulnerability to different shocks due to the relative deprivation occasioned by the apparent conspiracy of the social and natural environments. This article uses secondary data to understand the nexus between conflict, livelihood and vulnerability, and the place of social work in the nomadic children of Kenya,and its implications on nomadic children. We conclude that conflict and nomadic pastoralism combine to expose nomadic children to numerous adversities. Henceforth, we recommend social work intervention to moderate nomadic children’s vulnerability and augment their welfare.