Kimani finds security from ECF vaccination in Tanzania

Kimani lives in Arkatan village, a Maasai area, in Tanzania. He was initially suspicious of vaccines and only started administering the immunisation against East Coast fever in 2004.

East Coast fever (ECF) has a high mortality rate with cows and the disease is rife in many parts of Tanzania, and Kimani quickly noticed the benefits when his herd of calves survived. He used to have 250 cows and now has 670.

With the income from the sale of his livestock he has built five new homes and two water tanks. He was also able to send his children to an international school in nearby Arusha and contributed towards the building of a much needed water reservoir for his cattle with 10 other Maasai.

Cattle are still central in Maasai traditions – they provide everything from food (meat and milk) to an income (sold for cash for school fees or medical care) and for ceremonial purposes as well as dowries for weddings. Although in the past this has served them well, in recent decades diseases such as ECF have been killing thousands of cows – and without cows, the very existence of the Maasai is threatened.

Today, with the use of ECF vaccinations, Maasai are able to earn a good income through selling their livestock. The income pays for school fees, universities, cars and houses. With proof of its success, more than 90 per cent of the Maasai have decided to immunise their herds.

Kimani lives in Arkatan village, a Maasai area, in Tanzania. He was initially suspicious of vaccines and only started administering the immunisation against East Coast Fever in 2004. East Coast Fever (ECF) has a high mortality rate with cows and the disease is rife in many parts of Tanzania, and Kimani quickly noticed the benefits when his herd of calves survived. He used to have 250 cows and now has 670. With the income from the sale of his livestock he has built five new homes and two water tanks. He was also able to send his children to an international school in nearby Arusha and contributed towards the building of a much needed water reservoir for his cattle with 10 other Maasai. Cattle are still central in Maasai traditions – they provide everything from food (meat and milk) to an income (sold for cash for school fees or medical care) and for ceremonial purposes as well as dowries for weddings. Although in the past this has served them well, in recent decades diseases such as ECF have been killing thousands of cows – and without cows, the very existence of the Maasai is threatened. Today, with the use of ECF vaccinations, Maasai are able to earn a good income through selling their livestock. The income pays for school fees, universities, cars and houses. With proof of its success, more than 90 per cent of the Maasai have decided to immunise their herds.

“When I had 10 cows it was not really enough, life was very poor and there was not enough food. With just 10 cows, I couldn’t sell the cows and get money. Now I have bought land for cultivation for maize and beans so there is more food for the family,” says Marry. Now she would like a tractor to cultivate the land.

Marry uses the income from her livestock to send her nine children to school. She feels secure in her future because of the vaccinations and plans build a new home for her family.

Since beginning to vaccinate his herd last year he has 315 calves, a positive indication that the vaccinations are effective. East Coast fever has a high mortality rate with cows and the disease is rife in many parts of Tanzania.

Today, with the use of ECF vaccinations, Maasai are able to earn a good income through selling their cows – and can pay for school fees, universities, cars and houses.

Mollel plans to build a house in a nearby town. “In past years, milk and meat was very important but nowadays with new technology, we sell the cows for school fees and to build houses. My children are going to school because we can sell cows.”

Monji, Mollel’s last wife comments, “When I have a lot of cattle I feel secure, I don’t have a bank account as the cattle are a bank. After ECF, the worst problems are drought, they lack water and die of starvation.”

His son, Jeremiah Mepukori Mebolokini is now at college,“When I leave college, I want to deal with wildlife management. But I would still like to keep some livestock, I would go for high quality and low quantity.’ And he wants to travel the world, ”we want to go to Europe to meet you there like you meet us here.”

Elizabeth Wayua Mutoso’s chickens were all killed by Newcastle disease, a contagious disease that usually kills most chickens in a household or village.

She hadn’t vaccinated her chickens against Newcastle disease and did not recognise the symptoms when the disease hit her flock. She now knows that she must have bought an infected chicken at the market as the disease spread to the other chickens.

With nearly all her chickens dead, she has no source of cash and cannot afford to buy food or clothes or pay for school fees. As is the custom, she used to sell a chicken every time she needed something. She used to get around KSH 150 (or US $2) for each chicken which was enough to pay for extra food or household items.

Poultry has most impact on women

Poultry are often owned and managed by women for whom they represent an important source of cash income in times of need through the sale of adult birds, chicks or eggs.

GALVmed has prioritized poultry as an important investment area for work because all of the evidence available suggests that these impact most upon poor people and specifically upon the most vulnerable groups, including women and children.

If women are the bulk of livestock keepers and GALVmed improve the health and sustainability of their livestock, then protein levels and the capacity to generate investment income improve for women. At a micro-level, this (in money terms at least) gives women an economic voice within their families and thus a right to investment decision-making.

Livestock beneficial to poor

For many poor people in Kenya, livestock is a major source of income particularly during times of drought.

With climate change beginning to bite in East Africa, increasingly unpredictable rain patterns means that people cannot depend on crops such as maize and beans for food and income as they used to. Livestock such as goats, cows and chickens are more drought resistant and a crucial income to pay for food, medicines or school fees.

Yet development aid has neglected livestock for decades. Only 4 per cent is directed towards agriculture and a fraction of this to livestock.

Safari Mbui owns a veterinary drug store providing much needed medicines and qualified advice on animal health.

Safari was trained by the government but there are few government jobs available as an animal health assistant. He now works as a private practitioner and, with a loan from FARM-Africa, has also managed to start up a drug store – although he finds that many farmers cannot afford to buy the drugs. “I can do things that community animal health workers cannot such as difficult calving or simple surgeries”.

He works with five community animal health workers who have also been trained by FARM-Africa in tackling common animal illness such as diarrhea or worms but they often need to refer to him when problems are more complicated such as difficult births with cows or administering vaccines such as for Newcastle disease in chickens.

According to James Kithuka, FARM-Africa, Mwingi, “The level of awareness of animal health in farmers is rising – they are seeking more advice – and that must translate into more healthy animals”.

Unless there are dedicated people like Safari who work within communities, most farmers will not have access to animal health care, medicines or vaccines such as for Newcastle disease which kills millions of chickens.

FARM-Africa and community based animal health

The government of Kenya does not have sufficient capacity to treat all animal diseases and FARM-Africa fills that gap by looking for sustainable community based solutions to enhance the livelihoods of pastoralists and smallholder farmers.

Many animal diseases can be managed at the farm level but farmers lack the necessary expertise to treat the disease. Community animal health workers are trained by FARM-Africa in basic animal healthcare to be able to deliver services and drugs to farmers and to provide farmer to farmer training. There are strong links between community animal health workers such as MacDonald, animal health assistants such as Safari and the local vet.

There is a desperate shortage of animal health specialists in Kenya, particularly in the arid and semi arid lands – there is only one government vet in Mwingi District. In these circumstances, there is a need for a network of community animal health workers who can tackle common everyday illnesses in livestock and who can help livestock keep alive and healthy – and therefore benefit farmers.

“The last few years has seen continuous crop failures so people here rely more on livestock” says Gacabu Japhet Mugo, district veterinary officer, Mwingi District. The harvest failure brought on by the drought also means that more people will now have to depend on food relief handed out by the government. In these circumstances, the good health and survival of livestock is crucial.