CAPTION:
At no more than 95lbs at best in weight, this proud Turkana woman walked for 4 hours to arrive at a small stand of dead trees to gather
fire wood. Without regard for herself, in what can only be described as blistering noon day sun, she began to tear the wood apart with
her bare hands, refusing to yield to sore muscles, hunger or thirst - instead focusing on the work she needed to get done and her long walk
back to her village. The sound of a single panga smacking against dense wood echos across the desert floor - determined, she needs to cut
enough to have made her journey worthwhile. This bundle she will sell tonight so it's important for her to return before dark.
Women in the nomadic North...all tribes and all faiths are locked in a test of survival with all women, young or old, culturally taking their
place in supporting their families, like their ancestors had before them. Making the drought even more acute is that the forests are disappearing
and good water is scarce. NGO's of every persuasion and from every country are seeking answers to ensure a culturally secure way of life for future generations yet to come and while it's not easy, without question there are no easy answers, like this Turkana woman...they continue, placing one
foot in front of the other with the hopes that eventually, a culturally sensitive solution will come into play.
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