Social Aspects of Dynamic Poverty Traps

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Social Aspects of Dynamic Poverty Traps

• Cases from Vihiga, Baringo and Marsabit
  Districts, Kenya
• Nelson Mango, Wesley Ongadi, Gatarwa Kariuki,
  Josephat Chengole

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Research Team

• Nelson Mango (ILRI), Gatarwa Kariuki (KARI),
  Josephat Chengole (KARI), Wesley Ongadi
  (ICRAF/KEFRI)
• Willis Oluoch KOsura (UoN), Frank Place(ICRAF),
  Festus Murithi (KARI) Justin Wangila (ICRAF)
• Supported by
• IDRC (Canada), BASIS/CRSP (USAID)

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Objectives

• 1. To characterize, identify, and analyze dynamic
  poverty processes using social and historical
  methods
• By paying particular attention to changes in
  natural capital and human welfare dynamics

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Objectives cont.

• 2. To identify existing and potential strategies
  for households to escape poverty traps and to
  understand the constraints in employing them.

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The research areas

• Vihiga district - Madzuu (Mungoma) location
• Baringo district - Ngambo location
• Marsabit district - Dirib Gombo location

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High potential agricultural zone Rainfall1800mm-2
000mm Pop. Density 800-1100/km square Av. Land
sizes ½ ha per HH 25-29 HIV/AIDS
prevalence Ethnicity Maragolis
Source CBS, ILRI, 2003
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Low agricultural potential zone Low rainfall
amounts per year 50-55mm monthly Pop. Density
76/km square Econ. Activity Livestock
Keeping Ethnicity Ilchamus Over 70 of the
people are poor
Source CBS, ILRI, 2003
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Low Potential agricultural zone Low amounts of
rainfall Pop. Density 38/km square Econ.
activity Keeping livestock Ethnicity Boran
(pastoralists) Burji (Mixed farmers) 50-60
people are poor
Source CBS, ILRI, 2003
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Research Methodology

• The overall approach to the research was
  qualitative
• Three step approach
• Community level workshop
• Case studies (Sampling Techniques)
• Interviews with key informants

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Community level workshop

• PRA tools that were used included
• 1. Presentations and focused group discussions
• 2. Subgroup discussions and presentations
• 3. Historical timelines

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Workshop Cont.

• 4. Seasonal calendars
• 5. Problem analysis
• 6. Problem trend lines
• 7. Wealth ranking and wellbeing analysis

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Case studies (sampling)

• Purposive sampling technique
• 1. Poor nonpoor
• 2. Nonpoor poor
• 3. Poor poor
• - increase
• - decrease
• - no change

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Sampling Cont.

• 4. Nonpoor Nonpoor
• - increase
• - decrease
• - no change

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Case studies (Techniques)

• Ethnography
• Critical events
• Life histories
• Listening to peoples narratives
• Participant Observation
• Oral histories

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Key Informants

• Ethnography
• Oral History
• Reading of Texts

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Poverty Lines

• Heavily indebted, poor housing, poor clothing, lt3
  meals/day, uncared for children and poor health
  (combined) (Vihiga).
• Have lt5 cattle, lt5 goats and 5 sheep combined
  (Baringo).
• Have lt8 cattle, lt4 acres of land and no oxen to
  plough (combined) (Marsabit).
•      

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Reasons for escape from poverty

• Education
• Getting a well paying job in public or private
  sector
• Diversification in on-farm and off-farm
  activities
• Having a wider social network (clan support,
  farmer groups etc)

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Reasons for remaining Non-poor

• Coming from a wealthy and stable family
  background
• Self discipline (ability to control finances)
• Ability to manage terror in the village (Vihiga)
• Other reasons similar to those for escape from
  poverty

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Reasons for falling into poverty

• Death of major income earner
• Poor health and health related expenses
• Heavy funeral expenses
• Lose of employment
• Reducing land sizes per household including
  grazing land

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Falling cont.

• Unproductive land
• Increased dependencies (large family size)
• Frequent droughts and floods (Marsabit Baringo)

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Reasons for remaining poor

• Coming from a poor background
• Low levels of education and wrong mentality
• Having very small unproductive land

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Remaining poor cont..

• Landlessness and lack of resources
• Over reliance on livestock (Marsabit Baringo)
• Other reasons similar to those for falling into
  poverty

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Lessons learnt

• Those who managed to escape from poverty and the
  non-poor tended to take care of the environment.
• Reasons for falling into poverty tended to be
  different from reasons for escape from poverty
• Human and social capital were determining factors
  in falling into poverty, escaping from poverty,
  remaining non-poor or poor

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Reflection on the research methods

• Ethnography is a powerful tool for penetrating
  the society
• Community level workshops brought people together
  to discuss with researchers their own situation.
• First hand information generated remained with
  them
• Other useful qualitative research techniques
  include extended situational analysis,
  genealogies etc.)