Meet the Kamotos

At Home with the Kamatos

The head of the Kamato family, 48 year old Zainabu Kamato lives together with six children, including two stepdaughters and her husband who is suffering from a mental illness. The Kamato's live in a clay house with a sheet metal roof. Years back, Zainabu could grow vegetables on the compound around the house. Now everything is dusty red sand. It is very tidy: a bench, some buckets, a few dishes, a kitchen in a round hut and the one-room house. It's pitch dark inside the house. A few holes on the roof ensure enough light to locate the five beds that fills the only room. There is no electricity and no water. The kitchen is a separate round hut with a straw roof. 

Zainabu Kamato

“Life used to be good. We could sell a cow when we needed something. We were eating meat most days; had plenty of water and could pay school fees for the children. Now we are left with our prayers.''

Mr Kamato

Zainabu says: “My husband was a proud pastoralist with 70 pieces of cattle and 250 goats. They all died in the drought, and he just gave up when we were left with seven goats.''

He is not talking anymore and is not doing anything to provide for the family

''He has a mental disease. Now everything is up to me, and it is impossible to secure food, water and education for everybody.”

The Kamato Children

Zainabu explains, “My sons are talking about getting out of here – maybe to a slum in Nairobi. One of my daughters goes to a boarding school, and the school makes sure she is never hungry or thirsty, at least until they kick her out because I have not paid school fees for a while. My children often turn silent as they are too hungry to smile.The rainy season starts in November. Last time we just got a few drizzles. I hope for more next time”

Ralia Kamato (Zainabu’s step daughter)

One of the 6 children, for which Zainabu provides, Ralia just stays in the house now. “Years back us kids had a great time. We went to school and most days we even had meat for supper. We had everything we needed. Around half my old friends do not go to school. They are just waiting for better times. The most important step is food and water. If we get enough of that, the next steps will be easier.”

We used to meet and dance to the tunes from a transistor radio. We had everything we needed

Raila has a mobile phone but it doesn’t have battery or airtime.  If she could, she would text her classmates. '' The school allows me to attend classes, but we owe them a lot of money, so they will not let me do the exams.

''Now I am in Garba Tulla because here, we get relief aid. This is better, but we cannot keep going like this. Things have to change ''

“This is a better place. There is room for everybody on the beds, we have our own compound and it is secure because we know the neighbours. All we need is a good meal a day and money for school fees. Then we could be happy”

''I want to become a doctor or something else which means I can provide for the family. Sometimes, I believe it can happen. Other days, I know that my only hope is to get married to a wealthy man.”

Action Aid Support

Zainabu is a member of a group of female farmers supported by ActionAid. She works at a community project where they are trying to grow vegetables on a shared piece of land. ActionAid supports the farming project and runs a training field. It has however, dried out completely.

“I miss the good times, where we did not worry all the time” Ralia says.