Maasai women in Monduli District, Arusha Region, have been identified as the most vulnerable to the effects of climate change, a situation that has exacerbated their poverty and made it nearly impossible for them to escape their hardships.
Many of these women describe the pain of their husbands leaving home for extended periods to search for pasture and water, leaving them to bear the brunt of daily struggles.
During a workshop organized by the Community Development Research and Services Organization (CORDS), Peter Lubambula, the Director of Kesho Trust, presented a study on the impacts and opportunities related to climate change in Monduli District.
The workshop, which focused on empowerment, leadership, and sustainable collaboration for the development of indigenous peoples, highlighted the critical need for collective efforts from stakeholders to ensure the sustainability of indigenous communities' livelihoods.
Lubambula shared the findings of a 2024 study conducted across seven out of eleven villages involved in the CORDS community empowerment project.
Funded by the German government through the Karl Kubel Stiftung organization, the study revealed that women are bearing the heaviest burden of climate change.
They face long journeys to fetch water, severe food shortages, and the continuous erosion of grazing areas.
The spread of invasive plants and the destruction of ecosystems have only compounded these challenges.
Lubambula emphasized the importance of continuing initiatives like those led by CORDS to help women escape poverty.
These efforts include providing access to loans, establishing entrepreneurial groups, and educating women on their rights.
However, he also called for more education within the pastoral communities on managing livestock numbers to mitigate losses from the lack of pasture and water, and to equip them with the knowledge to better prepare grasslands for grazing.
CORDS Women's Empowerment Project Manager, Ng'inai Lepilal Molloiment, explained that the project is designed to empower women economically, helping them combat poverty and address gender-based violence, including Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).
"To date, we have facilitated the formation of 11 women's groups with 330 members, and 150 women have received loans to improve their lives," he said.
Ngoijie Lemalali, a resident of Engorika Village in Naararami Ward, and Elizabeth Ngonina, from Elerendeni Village in Engaruka Ward, shared their firsthand experiences of the impact of climate change.
Lemalali recounted how wildlife, particularly elephants, have been forced to migrate due to changing conditions.
For more than a decade, they have been unable to farm, as elephants now enter their lands in search of water.
"We are thankful to CORDS for offering us loans to purchase goats and start fattening them, which has eased some of our hardships. However, we need more loans, as everything requires money," he said.
Ngonina echoed this sentiment, explaining that climate change has deepened poverty, as many men migrate for long periods with their livestock in search of grazing land.
CORDS Project Manager, Rogath Massay, revealed that the organization plans to reach over 2,000 people in Monduli District over the course of the three-year project.
Workshop facilitator Dr. Miriam Zakaria noted that the event provided an important platform for participants to exchange experiences on climate change and discuss economic empowerment initiatives through various community projects.
Monduli Council Development Officer Fauzia Omar commended CORDS for its work in Monduli District, acknowledging the district's vulnerability to climate change.
"Monduli has endured prolonged droughts, significant animal deaths, and devastating floods in areas such as the Mbu River," she said.