GARISSA, Kenya — In the dusty village of Modika, in eastern Kenya, Leila Abdullahi spends her days trading what is increasingly known as the “white gold” of the desert: camel milk.
For the past five years, she has sold it out of recycled plastic water bottles and yellow jerry cans to fellow villagers and motorists. Occasionally she supplies it to the booming hotel industry throughout the surrounding county of Garissa.
Abdullahi is among some 540,000 pastoralists in Kenya, Somalia, and Ethiopia who are part of a regional program to create more sustainable and climate-resilient livelihoods through stronger livestock markets. The 13.7 million Swiss franc (about $15.9 million) initiative, funded by the Swiss government and implemented by Mercy Corps, also aims to economically empower local women: They comprise half of the participants.
About the author
David Njagi
David Njagi is a Kenya-based Devex Contributing Reporter with over 12 years’ experience in the field of journalism. He graduated from the Technical University of Kenya with a diploma in journalism and public relations. He has reported for local and international media outlets, such as the BBC Future Planet, Reuters AlertNet, allAfrica.com, Inter Press Service, Science and Development Network, Mongabay Reporting Network, and Women’s Media Center.
