By Peter Lalampaa
Nolkurupu Leparashau is a tall, regal-looking lady with a sharp gaze, who has the qualities of resilience and passion indicative of the pastoral communities in northern Kenya. She stands out as tough leader, a matriarch, who can withstand the challenges of the landscape she surveys. Nolkurupu faces many difficulties daily, from a lack of medical facilities to food insecurity, but she has never wavered in her hope for a brighter tomorrow. She leads from the front and confronts uncertainty with hard work, determination and a thirst for knowledge. I once asked her, “How do you rally your community to listen to you in such a patriarchal society, where women are commonly thought to know less than men?” Nolkurupu answered “I am a widow with children to feed, to clothe, to school. This calls for dedication, sacrifice and patience, especially when dealing with the men who don’t value us. If someone has no belief in you, you have to convince them otherwise.”
Nolkurupu is one of three incredible women leaders who have joined GZT’s rangelands program to lead restoration efforts within their communities. Despite the current uncertainty and insecurity surrounding Covid-19, Nolkurupu’s focus has not shifted: she is determined to restore rangeland so that her community has better grazing for their livestock and so the wildlife benefits too. Through GZT’s training, Nolkurupu has learnt about the damaging practices that result in rangeland degradation and the proliferation of encroacher species.
As a pastoralist whose livelihood and that of her children depends on livestock, Nolkurupu knows she must have healthy rangeland for her livestock to survive. So, she went to the nearby villages to seek the community’s help to fence an area for rehabilitation work. It was the first time that women and warriors, two socials groups that culturally do not mix, came together to work towards a common goal: securing their future. One warrior and four ladies braved the scorching heat to fence Sukuroi rehabilitation site, only asking for assistance with drinking water while they carried out their work.
Nolkurupu is working towards a better future, one with healthy pastures for her livestock and for wildlife, and food security for her family.
