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1/19/1963 - Change in Turkana by John Spencer

NOT FOR PUBLICATION INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS P Box JS I Nairobi Kenya Change Turkana Jan Mr Richard H Nolte Institute Current orl_d Affairs Madison Avenue New York New York A centuries Turkana Dear Mr Nolte Legend youths wandered south Ethiopian Highlands search After bootless happened woman their tribe picking fruit fertility Entranced vouths about their rushed spread their dscov The elders tribe listened calmly youths excited stories tnougtt while turned other things Stung indifferencethe young gathered their livestock essions Such known anthropologists taken place although absence written tradition makes proper JS I N SU DAN L Rudolf rguson Gulf UGANDA N Y A Lo Vict Nairobi route difficult determine generally believed migration occurred about years hatever birthdate pastoral Turkana fabled lushness their oting tantalizing green memory years scant overgrazing turned Turkana barren desert which climactic times living barely scraped Normally meager inches rains savagely briefly The eroded cannot moisture quickly carry whatever topsoil rushing torrents which rivers The plain greens short while providing Turkana livestock cattle camels donkeys goats In drought followed soaking rains floods which brought desolation olace sustenance Govern camps provide famine stricken Turkana One SUCh operation since Ferguson Uulf shore Lake Rudolf apparent famine relief camos temoorary palliative Turkana persisted overgrazing their denuded starvation would always lower nearby iYhat disturbed Government about camps change Turkana From proud sufficient nomads famous dwellers became listless beggars A revitalizing force needed would create beginnings economy reduCe Turkana enervating dependence camps One desolate Turkana stimulus Lake Rudolf miles miles known Kenya remaining unexploited fishery undepleted primitive efforts lacustrine Turkana small European fishing eration years The District CommissiOner Mr H Turkana could taught using simple modern equipment stable source would created catch could Governmem famine camps local economy could barter The Government reacted favorably Hill Fisheries Officer Bob McConnel arrived Ferguson Gulf charedth changing centuries The Ferguson Gulf project cited unique effort previously considered hopeless friend Bud Fallon AID advisor KenyaDepartment Agric culture asked I would Lake udolf I acceted immediately It miles north Nairobi Lokwakangole Ferguson Gulf short through rolling green Highland country floor Rift Valley Turkana The closest The Turkana tribe Turkana district Northern Renya District Lodwar famous deten Oomo Kenyatta Its inhabitants order importance District Commissioner District officer European clerk company King Af rican Rifles detachment Turkana Poiice Asians operate dukas several Turk males walls scratch Ferguson Gulf other miles From m0rni catch Lodwar rutted aggra vating track Supercilious camels until minute clear lumber their knock kneed loose limbed signalling their departure their disdain humanity fanfaronade broken The first comes seagull overhead landscape changes scrub smell water Bob McConnel waitin shore arrived after quickly piling outboard nowered skiff marshy inlet towards ishing across mouth Gulf The stutter engine startled waterfowl pinwheeling flutter flamingo cormorant pelican stork We passed through appeared giant water lilies covered cormorants squawking welcome Bob explained floods caused Lake submerged trees If looked enough somewhere under trees would garage The across muddy Gulf seemed Bud busily spotting crocodiles marvelling great panse Lake The fishing thatched canvas rowboats Dulled sandy beach drying Ferguson Gulf picked exneriment reasons Bob First resence famine ssnred market labor supply second quiet waters ffulf sheltered often dangerous aries Lake The chosen there difficulty obtaining reqtisite From right I Turtle arbus byuni Citharius Citharinus Bagrus bayad unknown Ti Nilotica Distachatus Niloticus Rudolfus Clarias The Titania Nile Perch tasting I eaten The netted veighed hounds JS I power famine ooential nrofit recruitment The Government provided enough twine repair rowboats outboard motor The Turkana Bob Camp follows simple pattern fishermen their morning chatter voices before uiled boats collect their catch Two hours passed before boats ground beach An impatient crowd Turk swarmed Iled assayin catch O00hs AhAIis humoured horseplay Soon women covered shore busily hackin fillets wrist knives rounded nails hammered sharpened bracelets The fillets suspended taken After fillets bagged Bob East African cents pound East African currency consists shillings cents There cents shilling This Ferguson Gulf fistling scheme A simple revealed about ooeration eated after Turkna change lives entire tribe The ffisheries Department feared Turkana catch might enough temselves This definitely fisherman hurdled distance between subsistence economy primitive pastoral centive system modern capitalism quick bound Several borrowed Bob bought One operates renting service Moreover fishing project revealed fascinating social flexibilitY Turkana The males ceerfully consent would never before Col lecting firewood gutting these women fought accumulated wives Noble though jibed Preparing facts world white brought Kenya Bob project Oro given centive Turkana The success Fer guson Gulf plans similar operations One south Gulf where sonal Turkwel River joins Lake other JS I Jake mouth nermanent source Omo Here tream snawn bright future Turka these rojects romise cannot realized without money Bob enough airing twine months although The Txfor Famine eiief Fund given lanch arrive ebruary contributed improvement between Lodwar Ferguson Gulf fishing project witho working funds A deata Turkana cause Government scheme reduce penditure eventual eliminstion create taxation increasingly cessful A Turkapa dandy fisherman Vnat enough provided Bob pupils ducing titan famine camps It seems Kenya famous fishery should provide possible outside market place Turkana Lake ictoria progressively fished Aba luhya Jaluo fisher there cannot suDply markets Lake counted impOrtant their These newly fishless reions would appear proper taraet Turkana So there stiff competition Before Congo difficulties dried Tangan Lake Victoria found price Eastern Congo This market closed until reDDens Tanganyika compete kenya villages Another source competition ceeated oddly enough Fisheries Department itself The gradual retraction Lake Victoria source surprise Department which obstinate lakeside tribes dangers oveefishing As countermeasure areas affected diminishing supply encouraged individuals build small ponds their proDerty The local Fisheries Officer condition eaten individual family There these ponds becoming increasingly nodular Lake Rudolf known outlet An evaDoration inches compared inches Nairobi keeDs level constant JS I In inland Darts Kenya Lake Rudolf still another obstacle classic oDpositi tribal African change matter nutritionally money The eater vegetables consider resort An interesting example occurd African locali Nairobi City Council snonsored nutrition courses women taught trained African dieticians Ini tially resnonse young students solid 0pposition their oider relatives wasod ances enough fashioned families settles question change younger women traditionally There remains question management If Turkana scheme receives enough money alive capture market outside ortnern lrovince which collect distribute large organized scale Te Fisheries epartment wants control project rurkana African District oucil possible there shortage Fisheries Officers Bob needed elsewhere Aft erthis transfer Cooperative envisaged which willellect central point The success Cooperative would depend management The persOn charge Turkana market He teacher deterr loneliness intense Turkana plains think about bumped Without doubt after Ferguson Gulf Droject achieved initial beginnings independent economy formed There problems I think major money marketing management solved The Fisheries De artment feels Government though financially pressed squeeze money needed sustain project The acceptance Lake Rudolf African steadily increase education erodes tradition Finally absence Kenya U K U N U S provide managerial skills necessary establish Cooperative success Coo erative system Turkanafishermen could freeze their thereDy enabl enter East African world markets The significance Ferguson Gulf scheme Oroved distance between nriitive barter existence begin economy cleared Sincerely hotogra renroduced through courtesy Mr L E Fallon Received New Yrk Pq Iq62