Schooling and the Encouragement of Farming Amongst Pastoralists in Tanzania

Abstract

This article uses qualitative and quantitative data to document the nature of educational practices in a pastoralist area in Tanzania, and to provide evidence that the schooling process, amongst other influences, has encouraged and facilitated the uptake and expansion of farming by these pastoralists. The article argues that the schooling process has influenced pastoralists' livelihood choices, and thus the nature and viability of pastoralism.

Comparative social demography, livelihood diversification and land tenure among the Maasai of Kenya and Tanzania

“…Notably, the Kenya government's policy of free and compulsory primary education and a 100% transition from primary to secondary school are accelerating the rate of enrolment across Kenya. Although disparities exist between the rural and urban areas with better access, enrolment and attainment levels, rural areas are also expected to improve as more pastoralists enroll their children in school (Mugisha 2006, Bishop 2007. Overall, formal education levels in Maasailand are still very low relative to the national average (Mwangi and Ostrom 2009).…”

“…For the Maasai to effectively cope with change, higher education levels will be a pre-requisite as the competition for job opportunities amidst an exponentially growing youthful population is ever-increasing. In addition, education is crucial for the local people to engage in various development activities (Ndemo 2005, Bishop 2007, Johannes 2010. One slow but sure change in pastoralism is that there will be a generation of young Maasai people who will not have gone through the traditional pastoral system because they were in school for a long time and had no livestock or no land (Fratkin and Mearns 2003).…”

“…Families are reducing the cost of hiring herders by increasingly fencing in livestock and releasing hired herders during school holidays. Moreover, poor families are more negatively affected as hired herders require money on a regular basis (Bishop 2007). Consequently, poor parents are assuming more herding and domestic duties to fill the gap in labour caused by their children who attend school (Archambault 2011).…”

“…Where water is available, greenhouse vegetable farming is becoming a new venture as the demand for food increases. However, most opportunities for diversification are likely to hinge on increasing levels of education as well as increased access to relevant and timely information (Bishop 2007;Coles 2008;Little et al 2009). The younger people will venture into new, non-traditional areas from which parents would rather keep off, as formal education prepares younger people to venture into novel areas of entrepreneurship.…”

Extension Agents and Conflict Narratives: A Case of Laikipia County, Kenya

“…This view perhaps represents a superficial understanding of pastoralism, as many studies have shown that modern cattle raiding has taken on a commercial dimension (Eaton 2010;Hendrickson, Armon, and Mearns 1996;Mkutu 2010) and pastoralists themselves believe modern cattle rustling to be criminal (Bond 2014b). Further, other studies have found that pastoralists are often marginalized, considered 'backwards' and blamed for supposed environmental damage (Bishop 2007;Davis 2005). This 'received wisdom' (Leach and Mearns 1996), shown to perpetuate in Laikipia, ignores the complexity of pastoralism.…”