what we do
Human Rights and Community Empowerment
Over ten community institutions have been formed to protect grazing lands and advocate for fair development, with direct engagement from women and youth.
Peacebuilding and Conflict Resolution
In regions prone to resource-based conflicts, STP plans to play a critical role in promoting peace between the Turkana, the West Pokot and the Elgeyo Marakwets. This will involve bringing together different community groups to collaborate on shared grazing plans and natural resource management, STP will facilitate the communities to reduce tensions and foster peaceful coexistence. STP will engage in dialogues and trainings to strengthen local peace structures and prevent conflict over water points, grazing areas, and land ownership. STP for some time now has had some good efforts that have been geared towards the conflict resolution in the Lokitela Etuko rangelands between the resident pastoralists’ communities and the migrating pastoralists to allow them to share the resources amicably, orderly and responsibly.
Communities are now actively engaging in peaceful dispute resolution and collaborative land use planning.
Access to Water and Sanitation
Water scarcity is one of the greatest challenges faced by pastoralist communities. STP plans to fundraise to address, construct new water infrastructure water scarcity by protecting the existing rainwater harvesting systems and promoting sustainable water management techniques through the ten pastoralists community committees. These initiatives will ensure reliable access to clean water for both human consumption and livestock use. STP plans to drill boreholes and other rain water harvesting infrastructure in areas that are inadequate served in the major pastoralists areas in the county(ies).
Healthcare and Reproductive Services
Pastoralists’ women, children, and the elderly often face limited access to health services. STP plans to respond by organizing mobile health camps and reproductive health education. These services will focus on maternal and child health, family planning, antenatal care, and gender-based violence prevention to the respective groups in rural areas in Turkana County.
Beneficiaries Served
STP’s programs primarily benefit pastoralists’ households in Turkana County which are entirely dependent in the pure pastoralism,agro-pastoralism, fisher-folk communities who are both fishermen and pastoralists. This will eventually help to respond directly to the needs of the entire disadvantaged pastoralists’ communities with focus interest on women and the youth.. These groups are often most vulnerable to poverty, food insecurity, and exclusion from services. STP ensures their inclusion in decision-making and supports them with practical tools to build sustainable futures.
Improved Food Security and Sustainable Livelihoods
To combat food insecurity, STP promotes climate-smart agriculture, including the cultivation of drought-tolerant crops such as millet and sorghum. Community gardens, food preservation training, and nutrition education further will enhance local food systems. These activities are planned to reduce dependence on livestock alone and improve year-round access to food.
STP has a well-thought plan of working with various communities in the Turkwel riverine areas which practice agro-pastoralism. These communities will be trained on the need for their households to diversify food sources and for better household nutrition.
Environmental Conservation, Rangelands, and Lake Turkana Ecosystems Conservation.
STP is committed to protecting and conserving the Turkana County rangelands because they are essential to the survival of the Turkana pastoralists’ community. These rangelands support extensive livestock keeping, which remains the backbone of the Turkana people’s economy, food security, and cultural identity. However, increasing pressure from land degradation, climate change, and unsustainable development threatens this traditional way of life. Conserving the rangelands helps sustain livelihoods, supports climate resilience, and protects pastoral mobility.
STP is passionate about safeguarding the Lake Turkana ecosystem, a globally significant biodiversity hotspot and the world’s largest desert lake. The lake provides water, fish, and ecological services vital to local communities. It is home to unique species and holds immense ecological and cultural value. However, threats such as upstream damming, reduced inflows, pollution, and overuse are endangering its future. STP advocates for the protection of this fragile ecosystem to ensure the survival of both its biodiversity and the communities that depend on it.
STP helps communities combat land degradation through tree planting campaigns, agroforestry, and the establishment of community land management plans. The organization also encourages sustainable land use practices such as rotational grazing, reseeding of the rangeland and soil conservation techniques, all aimed at restoring degraded ecosystems and improving resilience to climate change. STP has reached out to the 40 Beach Management Units along the western shore of Lake Turkana where fishing is active to work together to help protect and conserve the Lake Turkana ecosystem through community efforts and human rights campaigns against the damning of the lake resource and its consequential effects.
Future Expansion
STP is actively planning to expand its programs to other pastoralist regions in Kenya, including West Pokot, Elgeyo Marakwet, Baringo, and Kajiado. These areas face similar challenges related to climate vulnerability, resource conflicts, and social marginalization. Through partnerships and community mobilization, STP aims to scale its impact and reach thousands more pastoralist families.
STP’s work reflects a holistic and community-driven approach to development. By addressing interconnected issues such as human rights, peace, water access, healthcare, food security, and environmental degradation the organization empowers pastoralists not just to survive, but to thrive. With plans to expand nationally, STP stands as a model for sustainable development in Kenya’s drylands.