Borena, a southern zone in the Oromia region of Ethiopia, bordering Kenya, is home to approximately one million people. It is named after one of the largest subgroups of the Oromo people, the Borana, meaning “free”. Predominantly semi-nomadic pastoralists, the Borana follow the “gadaa system”, an indigenous democratic socio-political system of governance.
Climate change has been a stark reality for the people of Borena. Droughts are sadly becoming more frequent in this now deeply water-stressed land, causing great losses in livestock and livelihoods, threatening an inherent way of life.
The following images were taken in 2015 with SCIAF, a Scottish NGO working in partnership with local NGOs in Borena.
Gilo Huka, in her 90s, brings her cattle every day, sometimes twice a day, to the local watering well with her husband. Gilo talks about a dramatic change in the climate and environment over the last twenty years. Water shortages have completely transformed the landscape of Borena; droughts are becoming longer and more frequent.
Access to water is the biggest barrier to girls’ education in Ethiopia’s rural communities. Girls can spend up to six hours a day walking back and forth to fetch clean water for their families and livestock; they transport the water in plastic jerry cans which can weigh up to 20 kilos.
Jilo Dera, 15, fetches water for her family which is an hour’s walk away. Jilo spends four hours a day walking back and forth to the lake; she does not attend school.
Loko Abduba, 30, mother of 5, is a member of a cooperative making aloe vera products supported by local NGO, SOS Sahel. This group of women make soap, gums, scented wood and honey, and sell their products to a credit union in the nearby town of Yabello. The union shop sells to buyers around the country.
Members of an aloe vera cooperative photographed outside their local store, near the town of Yabello. Sales of the aloe vera products have given the women a more steady income and improved their living conditions, giving them better food security, the means to send their children to school and to afford housing.
Loku’s daughter, Dabo,
Women and girls at an “eladu”, shallow water well. These women and girls will walk several hours a day, sometimes twice a day, bringing their livestock and to fetch water for their families.
Kabo Huka, 36, a mother of four, is an animal herder. She has ten cows and ten goats, and walks them every day to a local deep water well, called an “ella” . The well was recently rehabilitated which has meant better access and cleaner water for local villagers. Before the rehabilitation, Habo used to walk up to eight kilometres daily for water. Many people like Habo used to get sick from the old water sources. Habo describes recent years as going from bad to worse in terms of climate change with less rain therefore lower wells and less grass for the animals.
Kabo greets two young children on her way down to the well. She tells us that women would sometimes give birth on the long walk to fetch water, “pregnant ladies would even give birth on the road and the child will be given the name Oba (which means ‘water’) or Oda (which means ‘oak’) the tree they gave birth under. This life has passed.”
Deep water wells found in Borena are called “ellas”, traditional singing wells. Water is lifted out of the well in relay style by a group of men who sing traditional Borana water songs in unison. The water is poured into a lower trench for the women to fetch, and then up to a higher trench for the livestock to drink.
Kabo Huka, with two sons, Cotola, 16, and Aroba, 4, and a niece and nephew.
Adi Diba, 30, a mother of three, lives in the village of Elamu. Adi joined a local cooperative set up by a local NGO five year ago and now sells goats and small goods. The cooperative has given Adi a steady income for her family and has enabled her to build her own home. Before the coop, she was an animal herder growing up and never had the chance to go to school. She is now able to send her own children to school and hopes for a better life for them.
Adi Diba and her daughter, Dabo, 4.
Eloma Duba, 101 years of age.
Loku Gufu, 36, a mother of six and a widow, and lives in the village of Ola Aba Alamu. Loku joined a credit union cooperative and took a business skills course run by local NGO, AFD. She was able to save money through the co-op and take a small loan to start up her own business. She now buys and sells goats at a local market. Her eldest son attends university, all her children are in school and she has built her own house. Life before the co-op was hard on this family; especially after Loku’s husband passed away. They were cattle rearers but struggled more and more due to longer and more frequent dry seasons.
Loku with three of her children: (L to R) daughters Kenamasa, 15, Batatu, 7, and son Galma, 17.
Loku has lost confidence in solely keeping cattle because of the longer and harsher dry seasons.
Loku says that when she was a child, water was readily available; there were lots of streams and rivers, and good pasture for the cattle nearby. Now this is the complete opposite, the climate is changing, there’s too much sun and not enough rain. During the dry season, Loku must walk for up to three hours to reach the nearest well.
Loko with her mother, Saki, 90, son Dida, 20, daughter Kenamasa, 15, son Daniel, 3, and daughter Batatu, 7, outside the family home. Loku says that since joining the co-op, her life “began to flourish like a plant with enough water”. “ I am a respected woman, I can lead my own life and provide for my children.”
Daki Tadi, 10, tends to her family’s goats.