FINAL REPORT - FSD Kenya

FINANCIAL SECTOR DEEPENING, FSD KENYA 

G2P PAYMENTS DEVELOPMENT PROJECT: 

DEMAND SIDE ANALYSIS FOR GARISSA DISTRICT 

FINAL REPORT 

Version Final Draft– February 24th, 2007 

Research by Muwanguzi Moses and Antony Kiogora 

Report Drafted by Ruth Odera

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 

This report contains the results of a market research exercise aimed at understanding the demand side 

of the financial services market among potential recipients of social payments under the proposed 

Government of Kenya Programmes. Specifically, the market research was to establish cash payment 

patterns and financial service needs of households with orphans and vulnerable children; and 

vulnerable households in arid and semi-arid lands subject to regular drought. 

A team of consultants and research assistants undertook the market research exercise. Ruth Odera and 

Elizabeth Waringa Kibe of Microfinance House Ltd, and Antony Kiogora, Moses Muwanguzi, and 

Cecilia Kariuki, all independent consultants carried out the market research. Research Assistants 

included Phillip Gor, Jacqueline Ochieng, Oscar Ongalo, Antar Mohammed, Sabdow Ibrahim and 

Adan Ibrahim, Keem Brendan and Daniel Aryong. 

The market research exercise took place from 27 November to 18 December 2006. During this period, 

the team held discussions with OVC current recipients and potential recipients as well as potential 

users of financial services in Garissa, Kwale, Nairobi and Suba. The team undertook the research based 

on the research questions (Annex 1) given in the Terms of Reference. 

The market research work was feasible because in most cases, the Children’s Department Officers in 

the districts had mobilized target groups before hand and the financial resources made available to the 

team by DFID to meet logistical costs of the assignment. Turnout rate of groups was over hundred 

percent. The team acknowledges the parts played by both the Children’s Department and DFID for 

the success of this assignment. 

We are particularly grateful to Graham A. N. Wright for his direction and support in writing this 

report. 

Ruth Odera 

Team Leader 

The views expressed in this document are findings from the field research from discussions and Participatory Rapid 

Appraisal Tools as well as those of the Consultants. The report does not reflect the views of any institution or persons 

involved in mobilization of the groups. 

ii

DEFINITIONS 

Acronym Definition 

ASAL Arid and semi-arid lands 

ASCAs Accumulating Savings and Credit Associations 

B2B Business to business 

B2P Business to person 

DFID Department for International Development 

FGD Focus Group Discussions 

FSDT-K Financial Sector Deepening Trust-Kenya 

G2P Government to person 

GoK Government of Kenya 

HSN Hunger Safety Net 

KCB Kenya Commercial Bank 

KShs Kenya Shilling 

MFIs Microfinance Institutions 

MTS Money Transfer Systems 

NSSF National Social Security Fund 

OVC Orphaned and vulnerable children 

POSTA Postal Corporation of Kenya 

PRA Participatory Rapid Appraisal 

P2P Person to person 

RoSCAs Rotating savings and credit associations 

ToR Terms of Reference 

iii

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 

BACKGROUND 

There have been a number of initiatives recently to develop and strengthen social protection through 

cash transfers to the poorest and most vulnerable households in Kenya. A small pilot project has 

already started to make small cash transfers to households with orphans and vulnerable children 

(OVC). This pilot will be significantly extending over the course of 2007. If successful, the aim is to 

scale this up to reach national coverage by 2010. A second pilot project is planned to develop a cash 

based hunger safety net (HSN) system focused on vulnerable households in the arid and semi-arid 

lands (ASAL) which are subject to regular drought. DFID is simultaneously supporting the 

development of an integrated national social protection framework, which seeks to provide a more 

comprehensive programme of appropriate and cost-effective social transfers aimed at reducing extreme 

poverty, increasing the poorest’s access to basic services, reducing risk and generating growth. 

The main objective of the market research was to create a profile of the needs for, usage of and 

attitudes towards financial services, especially payment services, among current and potential recipients 

of OVC and HSN schemes. This report covers the results of a market research exercise carried out in 

Kwale, Garissa, Nairobi and Suba in November and December 2006. 

The research team used focus groups discussions (FGDs) and the following participatory rapid 

appraisal (PRA) tools and to collect data 1 . They also reviewed secondary information and statistical 

reports on the five districts that formed part of the background information for each district report. 

KEY FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 

FINDINGS FROM GARISSA 

1. Difficulties in Garissa and among respondents 

ii. Garissa is prone to drought and floods and temperatures are very high ranging from 20 o C to 

38 o C. Apart from the areas along the Tana, the rest of Garissa is generally arid with poorly 

drained soils and low levels of rainfalls that cannot support farming. The main source of 

livelihood in Garissa district is nomadic pastoralism, but when there is drought or floods, 

animals die, leaving people with no source of livelihoods. When calamities occur, such as loss 

of cattle through drought or floods, Garissa town becomes the catchment area for such people 

who need employment or relief support. 

iii. Poor infrastructure (roads, hospitals, schools and telephone connectivity) in remote parts of 

Garissa causes difficulties in terms of cost of transportation and communication. Furthermore, 

the absence of infrastructural facilities like electricity hinders development of programmes in 

these remote areas. For example, mobile telephone connectivity ends 10kms away from Garissa 

town; road connections with towns such as Balambala and Dertu are some times non-existent 

and formal financial institutions including KPOSB are only found in Garissa town. This has 

pushed people to concentrate areas surrounding water points, market centres or areas with 

basic services like hospitals and schools. 

1 See Annex 2.6.3 on tools used 

iv

iv. The respondents belonged to two categories: guardians or orphans and vulnerable children 

(OVC) or those who relied on relief agencies and governments for relief food (Hunger Safety 

Net) categories. The difficulties are briefly explained: 

a. Difficulties of paying school fees for children in secondary schools and difficulties in buying 

school items e.g. uniforms and books for primary school going children. The direct 

consequence of this is a highly illiterate society. 

b. Difficulties in getting paid employment due to high levels of illiteracy and absence of 

industries in the district. 

c. Difficulties in getting food as the soils cannot yield crops and the main source of 

livelihood, cattle, is sometimes wiped away by flood related diseases such as anthrax or 

rift valley fever or hunger as a result of drought. Investigation into the seasonal flows 

of incomes and expenditures revealed that respondents do not have any source of 

incomes for 8 months of a year. 

d. Diseases and long illnesses is another major difficulty among respondents who are either 

widows or women whose husbands have migrated to look for employment. Such 

women have difficulties in providing basic necessities like medicines, food and clothes. 

Diseases such as malaria and diarrhoea are rampant after floods while long illnesses like 

pneumonia may be associated with cold after rains or any other source that did not 

come out clearly. 

e. Lack of shelter is one of the major difficulties among respondents. The herios huts that are 

commonly built in Garissa leak are easily washed away during floods and harbour 

snakes or mosquitoes. 

2. Cash Demands and Coping Mechanisms 

Respondents need cash to meet their basic needs that include the following: 

• To pay school fees for their children and the orphans under their care; 

• To buy food and repair their houses; 

• To buy drugs and cope with emergencies; and 

• To put aside savings (mainly in kind – in livestock) to meet life cycle events such as marriage of 

children. 

The respondents live from hand to mouth mainly on relief food or proceeds from sale of charcoal, 

casual employment, or petty trade. The main coping strategy among respondents used to be liquidation 

of assets to raise cash to pay school fees, emergency hospitalization, or to buy drugs. However, today, 

they do not have cattle and many of them depend on relief aid and friends for food and other support or 

migration to look for casual labour, pasture, employment or petty trade. A few respondents close to River Tana 

practice subsistence farming. 

3. Demand for Financial Services: Savings, Credit and Money Transfer 

Garissa town has Posta and commercial banks such as KCB, PostBank, and Barclays Bank while the 

rest of the District does not have formal financial institutions. Discussions in remote rural areas 

revealed that no financial institution exist in the divisional towns or villages and almost all the 

respondents have never used any formal system to save or borrow money. Posta that was the 

institution for money transfers closed its office in Balambala two years ago and no one uses its 

services any more. The major sources of credit are friends, relatives, shopkeepers and to a small 

extent moneylenders while informal mechanisms for saving in Garissa District in terms of preference 

v

are savings in kind (buying and selling animals); saving at home in tins or pots; saving with shop 

keepers; and savings in groups (RoSCAs) which is not very common. 

In terms of money transfer services, discussions revealed that some of the respondents regularly 

receive remittances from relatives working in towns (Nairobi, Garissa, and Mwingi) for school or 

colleges fees and for home up keep. Many of them use the Hawillat system, buses and matatus, and to a 

small extent individuals sending this money. The Hawillat comes with several names such as Amal 

Express, Kaah, Barwargo, Tawakal and Dahabshill and is considered reliable, safe, affordable and with a 

personalized service. The only shortcoming of the Hawillat system is that it relies totally on telephone 

connectivity which is missing in most parts of Garissa. 

Buses, matatus and Land-rovers plying both the Nairobi-Garissa Route and Garissa Balambala route are 

the next commonly used method of money transfer in Garissa after the Hawillat system and are 

considered to be safe, low-cost and reliable as money is given to those that are trusted and have been 

used for a long time. Matatus and Land-rovers are the only means of money transfer between Garissa 

and Balambala. 

The reasons for non-use of formal financial providers are mainly the absence of financial institutions in 

the remote divisions, the long distance to the nearest financial institutions, financial illiteracy and lack 

of information and lack of resources to save. 

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR GARISSA 

1. The general difficulties stemming from climatic conditions and the accompanying natural calamities 

including drought and floods make Garissa people quite vulnerable. Garissa is a good target region 

for hunger safety net project as every respondent requires further support. 

2. One of the major difficulties in establishing any project in Garissa, be it Hunger Safety Net project 

or up scaled OVC project is the poor infrastructure, especially roads. The roads, in remote parts of 

Garissa are impassable or get easily cut off or washed away by heavy rains making accessibility to 

destinations impossible. The only accommodation in areas out of Garissa town is primary schools 

or chiefs’ houses. A project should take into account infrastructural difficulties such as the 

distances involved, poor roads, poor accommodation facilities and security issues in all areas out of 

Garissa town. 

3. Similarly without financial institutions operating out of Garissa town, a new project providing 

financial services would be a complete innovation, requiring a lot of research on demand for such 

services and alternative delivery channels. Posta closed its office in Balambala two years ago and 

reasons for this closure would provide an indication of difficulties involved in transferring funds to 

such areas. The Hawillat operates well in areas with telephone connectivity and electricity and 

investigation of the Hawillat system and how it works should be the starting point for money 

transfer services. The use of buses and matatus is common in remote areas and an investigation of 

how this works would be important. 

4. Respondents require lump sums to pay school fees for children in secondary schools and to buy 

school items e.g. uniforms and books for primary school going children. Due to the special nature 

of difficulties in Garissa, a direct linkage with the Government for up scaled bursary funds and 

assistance would support education in Garissa and improve levels of literacy among children of 

HSN and OVC target group. 

vi

5. Cattle are the main source of livelihood among respondents and the absence of cattle makes them 

vulnerable. There is a need to link this HSN/OVC programme with a cattle re-stocking 

programme plus support activities as is done by some NGOs in Turkana. This will enable the 

respondents to have some form of income which they can use to meet basic needs e.g. purchase of 

drugs, food, clothes and shelter and even save. 

6. The respondents believe that with some support from the Government, they can irrigate areas 

along river Tana and grow food crops. This project should lobby the Government for that support 

as it would drastically reduce dependency syndrome and the number of people relying on HSN 

project. 

7. Discussions revealed that there is high demand for money transfer services in remote areas of 

Garissa since many respondents get remittances from relatives and friends through the Hawillat. 

However, the level of this demand and that one for formal savings and credit is not known. 

Indications are that financial illiteracy could be a barrier but the absence of formal financial 

institutions to provide these services is already a barrier. More research needs to be done on this 

area. 

vii

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

1 Introduction..........................................................................................................................1 

2 GARISSA DISTRICT ..........................................................................................................5 

2.1 Background Information...................................................................................................5 

2.2 Difficulties in Garissa........................................................................................................6 

2.2.1 What Are the General Difficulties Facing the People of Garissa?......................................6 

2.2.2 What are the Specific Difficulties facing Members of Respondent Households? ...............7 

2.3 What are the Cash Demands and Coping Mechanisms among Respondents? ...................9 

2.4 What are the Demand for Financial Services: Savings, Credit and Money Transfer .........10 

2.4.1 Financial System in Garissa.............................................................................................10 

2.4.2 Savings............................................................................................................................10 

2.4.3 Credit..............................................................................................................................11 

2.4.4 Money Transfer Services.................................................................................................11 

2.4.5 Reasons for Non-use of Formal Systems ........................................................................13 

2.5 Conclusions and Recommendations................................................................................13 

2.5.1 Difficulties in Garissa and among respondents ...............................................................13 

2.5.2 Cash Demands and Coping Mechanisms ........................................................................14 

2.5.3 Demand for Financial Services: Savings, Credit and Money Transfer ..............................14 

2.6 ANNEXES ....................................................................................................................17 

2.6.1 ANNEX 1:– RESEARCH QUESTIONS ......................................................................17 

2.6.2 ANNEX 2: FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDES.................................................19 

2.6.3 ANNEX 3: TOOLS USED IN KWALE DISTRICT.....................................................20 

2.6.4 FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSION OUTCOMES.............................................................21 

2.6.5 OUTCOMES OF PRA TOOLS.....................................................................................38 

viii

1 Introduction 

1.1 Background 

SECTION 1 - INTRODUCTION 

There have been a number of initiatives recently to develop and strengthen social protection through 

cash transfers to the poorest and most vulnerable households in Kenya. A small pilot project has 

already started to make small cash transfers to households with orphans and vulnerable children 

(OVC). This pilot will be significantly extending over the course of 2007. If successful, the aim is to 

scale this up to reach national coverage by 2010. A second pilot project is planned to develop a cash 

based hunger safety net (HSN) focused on vulnerable households in the arid and semi-arid lands 

(ASAL) which are subject to regular drought. DFID is simultaneously supporting the development of 

an integrated national social protection framework that seeks to provide a more comprehensive 

programme of appropriate and cost-effective social transfers aimed at reducing extreme poverty, 

increasing the poor’s access to basic services, reducing risk and generating growth. 

In addition to these new social payments and the emergence of an integrated framework, there is 

already a large number of regular government to person (G2P) payments. These include payment of 

pensions to retired Government employees and retirement, invalidity and other benefits from the 

National Social Security Fund (NSSF). The latter has recently expanded its scope to include the selfemployed 

with the potential for a significant expansion of the Fund if there is significant uptake in the 

future. While there are existing systems for making these payments, there may be opportunities for 

more cost effective approaches. 

There is already a large market for business to person (B2P), business to business and (B2B) and 

person-to-person (P2P) transfers. Some of the major sources of transactions are trading, school fees, 

private pensions, insurance, micro-credit and intra-family remittances – both domestic and 

international. While detailed market research on the scale of this market has yet to be completed, 

anecdotal evidence suggests that lower income, rural households and micro-businesses face very 

significant transaction costs in terms of both direct cost and access to service points. 

Financial Sector Deepening Trust-Kenya (FSDT-K) commissioned this study to highlight the key 

aspects of the demand side work to create a fuller picture of the current usage of and attitude to cash 

payment instruments by potential and actual recipients. 

1.2 The Overall Objective 

The demand side study was to create a profile of the needs for, usage of and attitudes towards financial 

services, especially payment services, among potential recipients of OVC and HSN schemes. 

1.3 Research Design and Methodology 

i. Study Sites 

FSDT-K and the Children’s Department, Ministry of Home Affairs had pre-selected Suba, Kwale, 

Garissa and Nairobi for orphans and vulnerable children programme (OVC) study; and Turkana and 

Garissa for hunger safety net (HSN) study. The following map of Kenya shows the locations of the 

1

districts that were studied. They include Kwale, Turkana, Suba, Garissa and Nairobi. It also shows 

classification of these districts by aridity. 

ii. Segmentation of Study Respondents 

Each specific group of people has differing needs. The study design therefore involved segmenting the 

groups into current OVC recipients, potential OVC recipients, and potential users of financial services 

and by gender to understand better their specific needs. Table 1.1 below shows segmentation in each 

district by target group and the number of people studied. 

2

Table 1.1: Segmentation by Target Group 

District/ 

Target Group/ 

Segmentation 

Current OVC 

Recipients 

(No of Sessions) 

Potential OVC 

Recipients 


3 

Potential Users of 

Financial Services 


Hunger Safety 

Kwale 10 7 9 26 

Garissa 7 7 2 2 18 

Nairobi 8 10 5 23 

Suba 0 14 10 24 

Turkana* 

Total 25 38 26 2 90 

*Data entry going on now 

iii. District spatial distribution 

Similarly given the spread of current OVC pilot sites and the importance of understanding the spatial 

dimensions of financial needs and behaviour in each locality, the study addressed groups in differing 

types of population centre from the largest to the smallest. The table 1.2 below shows the study sites 

and their urban/rural status, 

Table 1.2: Segmentation by District and Location 

Net 

Total 

Garissa Kwale Suba Nairobi Turkana 

Urban (urban slums) Kibira Laini Saba, 

Peri-urban IFTIN (5km from 

Garissa Town 

Remote/Rural Mbala Mbala 

Rural Village (not so 

remote in terms of 

infra-structure 

(220km from 

Garissa Town) 

Dertu Millenium 

Village (182km from 

Garissa Town) 

Tsimba sub- 

Location in Matuga 

Division (45 kms 

from Mombasa 

Town 

Mwereni sub- 

Location in Lunga- 

Lunga Division 

(120kms from 

Mombasa Town) 

Chengoni sub- 

Location in 

Samburu Division 

(120kms from 

Mombasa town) 

Luanda, 15 kms 

from Mbita Point 

Gwasi East, Chief’s 

Camp (3 hrs drive 

from Mbita Point – 

Kms not yet 

established) 

Rusinga Island, 

Gembe Sub- 

location Chief’s 

Camp – 3 Kms 

from Mbita Point 

Korogocho, 

Kangemi 

Lodwar 

Lokitaung 

Kakuma 

iv. Techniques and PRA tools used 

In response to Terms of Reference (ToR) questions, the consultants used Focus Group Discussion 

(FGD) 2 (see Annex 2 for discussion guides used) and MicroSave Participatory Rapid Appraisal (PRA) 3 

tools (see Annex 4 for a description of the tools) for selected outcomes. The tools applied in the 

Participatory Rapid Appraisal sessions included the following: Life Cycle Analysis, Cash Mobility 

Mapping, Time Series of Crisis, Seasonality of Income, Expenditure, Credit and Savings, Relative 

2 A focus group discussion is an in-depth discussion with a group of six to ten people that is led by a moderator and focuses 

on a limited number of issues. 

3 Participatory Rapid Appraisal is a process through which participating communities, with the assistance of outside 

facilitators, collect and analyze information themselves about their own lives and community.

Preference Ranking, and Seasonality of Migration and Labour. Table 1.3 provides a summary of 

techniques and tools used. 

Table 1.3: Tools/techniques used by District 

Techniques/Number of 

Sessions 

Kwale Suba Nairobi Garissa Turkana* 

Focus Group Discussion 14 13 8 15 

Life Cycle Analysis 2 5 3 1 

Cash Mobility Mapping 2 1 3 3 

Time Series of Crisis 2 2 2 3 

Seasonality of Income, 

Expenditure, Credit and Savings 

1 1 3 1 

Relative Preference Ranking 2 1 3 1 

Seasonality of Migration and 

Labour 

Financial Service Matrix (Results of 

PRA triangulated with FGDs) 

3 1 1 

Total Number of Sessions 26 24 23 25 

*Data entry going on 

1.4 Research Team 

A team of five consultants and eight research assistants undertook the market research exercise. Ms. 

Ruth Odera and Ms. Elizabeth Waringa Kibe both of Microfinance House Ltd, Antony Kiogora, 

Moses Muwanguzi, and Cecilia Kariuki, all independent consultants carried out the market research. 

Ms Ruth Odera was the Team Leader for the project. Research Assistants included Phillip Gor, 

Jacqueline Ochieng, Oscar Ongalo (Kwale and Suba assignment), Antar Mohammed, Sabdow Ibrahim 

and Adan Ibrahim (Garissa and Nairobi assignment) and Daniel Aryong and Keem Brendan (Turkana 

assignment). 

1.5 Field Experiences and Limitations 

The research team faced a number of challenges including impassable roads as a result of the rains that 

were pounding the whole country at the time of the study. The distances between study sites were 

fairly long and this created difficulties in reaching study groups or interviewees reaching the interview 

locations. In some remote areas in Kwale, Garissa, Suba and Turkana the majority of the interviewees 

were not familiar with existing financial services and certain tools could not be administered. All these 

difficulties influenced district results in some way or the other. 

Generally, in all the four districts already studied, the turnout rate was over 100% and in most cases, 

community members that were not invited turned up to participate in the focus group discussions and 

consultants worked late to undertake interviews. It however created certain logistical difficulties 

especially that of reimbursing transportation and refreshment costs. 

1.6 How to Use this Report 

Section 1 of this report is an introduction with background information on the study, the objectives of 

the study, research design and methodology, study team and field challenges. Section 2 provides the 

main findings of the study by district starting with the background (or contextual) information on the 

study districts as well as recommendations for the project. 

4 

1

2 GARISSA DISTRICT 

2.1 Background Information 4 

Garissa District Map 

SECTION 2: MAIN FINDINGS 

5 

Garissa District is one of the four 

districts of North Eastern 

Province. It borders Isiolo District 

to the northwest, Wajir to the 

north, Republic of Somalia to the 

East, Tana River District to the 

west and Ijara District to the 

south. The district covers an area 

of 33,620 square kilometres and is 

divided into 11 divisions, 42 

locations and 60 sub-locations. 

Garissa is low lying with altitudes 

ranging between 70m and 400m 

above sea level. The River Tana, 

which runs along the western 

boundary of the district, is the 

only permanent river, with 

tremendous influence over the climate, settlement patterns, and economic activities within the district, 

as it forms the single most important source of water for the fast growing Garissa Town and the 

surrounding areas. 

The district is generally arid. The soils can be classified into alluvial, white and red sand soils. The white 

and red sand soils are found in Balambala Division where the terrain is relatively uneven and well 

drained. The alluvial soils hold no water, but support vegetation which remains green long after the 

rains. These soils have potential for farming. The rest of the district has sandy soils that support 

scattered shrubs and grassland. The alluvial soils occur along the Tana River and are very fertile and 

can support increased agricultural production using irrigation. 

The main source of livelihood in the district is nomadic pastoralism. The district receives rain in two 

seasons; these are the long rains season between March and April and the short rain season between 

October and December. The rainfall is unreliable with some torrential rains which in many cases are 

detrimental to vegetation growth. The temperatures in the district are high ranging from 20 o C to 38 o C. 

The population of the district is concentrated in small pockets surrounding water points and market 

centres - areas with basic services like hospitals, schools health and commercial activities. Garissa is the 

major town of the district which accounts for more than 20% of the district population. People who 

have lost their livelihoods through droughts are other calamities migrate to Garissa to look for 

employment or other sources of livelihood. Dadaab and Jarajilla accommodates the refugee population 

which have had a negative impact on the natural resources due to over utilization, trees have been cut 

for firewood and charcoal leaving large areas bare of vegetation. The rest of the population are 

nomadic and shift with their livestock in search for water and pasture. 

4 Source Garissa Development Plan 2002-2008

2.2 Difficulties in Garissa 

Difficulties are here arbitrarily classified into general difficulties of the area and specific difficulties 

affecting the respondent households. The general difficulties everyone in Garissa and could be due to 

the difficult nature of the terrain or natural calamities; while the specific difficulties affect respondents 

individually and are possibly the effect of the general difficulties. 

2.2.1 What Are the General Difficulties Facing the People of Garissa? 

The details of the difficulties briefly discussed in the following section are found in Annex 3.5.5(i, ii, 

and iii) that shows how crisis after crisis have continued to affect the people of Garissa. 

i. Difficult Environmental Conditions 

The majority of the respondents in Garissa live under very difficult environmental conditions because 

of the arid nature of the land. Apart from areas bordering River Tana with water and fertile soils, the 

rest have poor soil conditions and unreliable rains that cannot support rain fed farming. Respondents 

feel that with irrigation, some of the areas in Garissa could be productive. Apart from the low and 

unreliable rainfalls, the area is also prone to floods which cause a lot of damages to infra-structure and 

sources of livelihoods. Nomadism is the way of life in Garissa and cattle is the source of livelihood. 

The environment can however support the keeping of camels and goats and individuals have to move 

from place to place with their cattle in search of pasture 

ii. Drought, Floods and famine 

The people of Garissa just like their counterparts in Turkana and Kwale have continued to face two 

major difficulties associated with weather changes. Garissa by nature is an arid area, but it can also 

receive such heavy rains that top soils are washed away and roads are completely cut off or become 

impassable. 

Respondents report that the last case of floods similar to this current one (November 2006) happened 

during the El-Nino rains of 1996 and the intervening period between 1996 and 2006 was a time of 

drought. The drought was so severe that pastures had dried up and cattle died from either lack of food, 

or eating the poisonous Mathenge 5 plant, thus reducing their numbers considerably. The floods of 

2006 killed their remaining cattle and only a few of them have a single animal left. The animals used to 

be the source of regular cash flow and their death has left their owners with no major source of 

income. The majority have reportedly either migrated to refugee centres or to Garissa and Nairobi to 

look for alternative source of livelihoods. Some homes have been wiped away and individuals have 

gone to refugee camps or have built make-shift huts with polythene covers. 

When floods or drought occurs, famine sets in and respondents rely mainly on relief food from relief 

agencies or on alms from well-off relatives. The few people that practice subsistence farming around 

Tana River are able to continue with their activities and get food stuffs but annual harvests are 

generally low due to spoilage by wild animals. A few others undertake income generating activities 

such as such as collecting and selling firewood, milk vending, groceries, and hawking to survive. 

iii. Poor Infrastructure 

Garissa town is located about 390 km from Nairobi with a good tarmac road. The rest of the locations 

e.g. Mbalambala is 220 km and Dertu is 250 km from Garissa and have seasonal roads that are almost 

impassable during rainy seasons. At the time of the study the road between Dertu and Garissa was 

completely cut off and vehicles had to create new tracks making a one day journey into one of four 

days. 

5 Mathenge plant is an evergreen plant introduced by the government to fight against desertification. 

6

Due to the poor roads, there are a few transport options and residents have to depend on a few 

expensive four-wheel vehicles operating on these routes for movement to and from Garissa Town. In 

Mbalambala location for example, the only available transport is an old land rover called “Mbalambala 

Liner” plying Garissa – Mbalambala after every two days during dry seasons. The “Mbalambala Liner” 

charges KShs400 to KShs500 per person. In absence of this vehicle, residents often walk long 

distances to reach their destinations, i.e. hospitals, schools, urban centres etc. 

Along these routes there are no established trading centres but makeshift community settlements that 

may have been created as a result of migration or movements to higher grounds to avoid floods. 

When roads are cut off, it becomes difficult to reach recipients of relief food or other programmes. 

Apart from roads, the remote areas of Garissa have no electricity or telephone connectivity which 

stops about 10 kms out of Garissa town. The absence of telephone connectivity and power coupled 

with poor roads have created a lot of communications problems and denied the residents services of 

financial institutions that would be interested in establishing facilities in those areas. 

iv. Wild Life Menace around River Tana 

Wild life such as the hyena, lions, elephants and monkeys found around the Tana river attack both 

humans and livestock; and destroy crops. This has always been a problem that Garissa residents have 

to live with. Respondents can only report to wild life personnel and some times are compensated for 

the loss of the lives of humans or cattle. Usually the compensation is Kshs30,000 for loss of human life 

and Kshs15,000 for loss of animals, which is considered too low. 

2.2.2 What are the Specific Difficulties facing Members of Respondent Households? 

Most of the respondents were either widows or single mothers whose husbands had migrated to the 

neighbouring Garissa, Mwingi and Nairobi city to search of casual work. The roles of these women 

have changed to that of being household heads, bringing up their own children and orphans and 

making every decision regarding household incomes and expenditures.. Several difficulties face 

members of respondent households including school fees, lack of employment, long illnesses and 

ability to buy drugs among others [(See Tally Sheet and Annex 3.5.5 (vii )]. 

i. Education of Children 

Generally incomes among respondent households are low and cash-flows are irregular, making the 

education of children a major difficulty. Respondents however place a high value on education and 

believe that it is only through education that their children will get out of the poverty trap. “Education 

is light” they say. With the introduction of free primary education, the respondents are now educating 

their children in primary schools only as they cannot afford the cost (KShs3,000 to KShs5,000 per 

term) of secondary school education. “None of my three children who graduated from primary two years ago, has 

managed to go to secondary school and are currently at home” said a respondent in Iftin. 

ii. Lack of Employment Opportunities 

There is a general high level of unemployment among OVC guardians, partly be attributed to the 

absence of employment opportunities in the remote areas of Garissa and to the low levels of education 

and high levels of illiteracy among the OVC/HSN target group. Apart from relief agencies supplying 

food, there are no industries found either in Iftin, Balambala or Dertu. Without employment 

opportunities, cattle keeping would still remain the main source of livelihood … if most of the cattle 

had not died due to drought or floods. One of the direct consequences of this the lack of employment 

opportunities are the low incomes and the inability the respondents to afford basic food and non-food 

items such as clothing school and hospital fees, and their reliance on relief food. 

7

iii. Diseases and Long Illnesses 

The main sicknesses affecting households are malaria, diarrhoea, pneumonia and malnutrition among 

children. Even though there could be a high prevalence of HIV/AIDS, the respondents did not come 

out clearly about the presence of this disease in the community, but reported rampant “madness” 

among target group. As many of the current and potential OVC households are headed by single 

parents, their capacity to meet all household requirements, especially that of taking care of the sick 

during long illnesses, is limited. 

Respondents associate malaria with the stagnant water that has created breeding grounds for 

mosquitoes; and diarrhoea with the contamination of wells by surface water from floods. In Bulla Iftin, 

respondents have no other source of water except the Tana river that is also contaminated and not fit 

for domestic use. They associate pneumonia and malnutrition among children with poverty that has 

reduced their ability to buy appropriate food and medication for their children. The Garissa District 

Children’s Officer confirmed a death rate of two children per day in one of the camps and five deaths 

per day in the main hospital in recent months. 

Distance from hospitals and cost of drugs have complicated the situation and made it difficult for the 

respondents to get reliable and affordable medical care in time. Apart from at Iftin, which is 5 kms 

from Garissa, distances to the nearest Garissa District Hospital are far. Balambala for example is 200 

kms away or KShs400-500 in terms of cost of transport – considerably far and expensive for 

respondents. 

iv. Livestock Diseases 

There are rising cases of diseases associated with floods such as anthrax and Rift Valley Fever. These 

diseases have caused deaths of livestock, a situation that has forced people here to sell off their 

remaining ones, especially camels, sometimes at very low prices, and to remain with no major source of 

regular cash flows. They have remained with a few goats that they say can stand hard conditions. 

v. Inappropriate Shelter 

Many respondents live in temporary makeshift huts, commonly known as “herios” that leak during rainy 

seasons and harbour snakes and mosquitoes. Many of these herios were washed away by the floods of 

2006 and occupants went to seek refuge on higher grounds or refugee camps and some were fortunate 

to get support from Aid Agencies that provided polythene covers for reinforcing dwellings and 

mosquito nets for protection against malaria. 

vi. Lack of Food 

One of the major difficulties facing these respondents is lack food. The soils and amount of rainfall 

cannot support farming, and animals have died from lack of pasture and cattle feed, making the food 

situation worse. It is only along Tana river that a few people practicing subsistence agriculture have a 

consistent source of food. When roads are also cut off due to floods as it happened recently, food does 

not reach recipients in time. 

Investigation of seasonal flows of income and expenditures revealed that inhabitants of Balambala and 

Dertu receive no major incomes for at least 8 months in a year, and have food difficulties in the most 

part of a year. It is only in January that they get some income from sale of animals and buy food. “In 

December through January we sell cattle and goats …this is the time the animals are fat and can fetch good price.” In 

March - “we sell cattle and camel milk…because this time of the year is when most animals give birth and milk is 

plenty…” 

8

2.3 What are the Cash Demands and Coping Mechanisms among Respondents? 

Respondents have developed various coping mechanisms to be able to meet household needs, the 

main one being the sale of animals to raise lump sums for school fees, hospitalization, and house 

building and burying the dead. They use animal products such as meat and milk as a source of food 

and use the animals to pay dowry for their sons. 

As their lives revolve so much around animals, those without animals become the most vulnerable of 

the community. Even the ones with a few animals left have further cash demands for solving 

household difficulties (See section 3.2). For example, they need to pay school fees for their children 

and the orphans under their care; buy drugs and cope with emergencies, finance hold requirements, 

especially food and save (mainly in kind) to meet life cycle events such as marriage of children. Below 

we present a few of the coping mechanisms that they use to survive. 

i. Migration for Casual Labour and Employment 

Migration in Garissa is common at the beginning of the year (mainly January) when it is extremely hot 

and dry and individuals with cattle move in search of better pasture or casual employment in the near 

by towns of Mwingi, Garissa and Nairobi (See Annex 3.5.5x). “we look for casual labour after we have made 

sure that our animals have water, pasture...that’s when we get an opportunity to travel to look for supplementary 

income…if we do not get a job we come back and take few herds of cattle to Garissa and sell them to buy food and clothes 

for the children”. In the middle of the year i.e. June migration is “temporary” and it mainly to short 

distances to get water for the animals and come back to their regular settlements. 

ii. Depending on Relief Aid, Relatives and Friends 

The alternating crises situations of drought and flood in the past decade and limited opportunities for 

farming causes a high demand for cash to purchase food throughout the year. The food requirements 

are the very basic daily nutritional requirements like sugar, salt, milk, potatoes, maize flour and/or 

water for domestic use. 

The difficult situation and the inability of the respondents to meet these very basic needs have pushed 

a large number to depend on relief aid agencies, government or relatives for food. In Garissa, it is 

normal for one to go and ask for alms from richer members of the society and get it and respondents 

acknowledged that they believe strongly in helping the poor and vulnerable members of the 

community. “To give to the poor is a blessing” they said. This has led them to believe that richer members 

of the communities should always support them (and they perceive themselves as poor). The negative 

side of this belief is that, despite the presence of some arable land along Tana river, very few of the 

respondents in Iftin are engaged in farming activities and would rather sit and wait for support from 

well wishers. 

iii. Liquidation of Assets or Using Money Lenders 

Out of the items of expenditure listed by respondents, children’s education takes the highest rank as it 

requires lump sums. Many of the respondents see the education of their children as a form of 

investment that would contribute to their children’s future better living and by extension, theirs. They 

take them to the local schools up to Standard Eight and then struggle to take them to Secondary 

Schools. In Garissa, secondary school fees cost between KShs3,000 to KShs5,000 per term. They need 

school fees during the start of school terms i.e. January and February, May, June and September and 

cash for buying uniforms, books and pens for primary school going children (See Seasonality analysis 

Tool in Annex 3.5.5ix). 

Respondents raise lump sums by liquidating their animal assets especially in the month of January. 

They sell camels for KShs15,000-20,000, goats KShs1,000 – KShs1,500, cows KShs10,000-15,000 to 

get quick money to be able to pay school fees or to pay “duksi” for Madrasa to learn the Islamic faith. 

9

In cases emergencies of illnesses respondents go to local dispensaries that are found in each location 

but cases arise when the sick are referred to Garissa Hospital and those who do not have animals to 

sell cannot raise cash for transport and resort to taking their children to be prayed for by sheiks or use 

herbal medicines. The ones with cattle sometimes sell at below market rates to raise quick money for 

transport or drugs. Some respondents use the OVC support as a guarantee to borrow or borrow from 

relatives or the few money lenders in the communities to raise cash. 

iv. Subsistence Farming and Petty Trade 

A few of the respondents especially in Balambala undertake subsistence farming along the Tana river 

while the rest either sell charcoal and firewood in Garissa and Daadab refugee camp, have petty trade 

or hawk milk that they buy from Bangali town (located along Garissa/Mwingi Road) and sell in Garissa 

town. 

2.4 What are the Demand for Financial Services: Savings, Credit and Money 

Transfer 

2.4.1 Financial System in Garissa 

There are a variety of financial services, formal and 

informal, in Garissa District. There are the banks, money 

lenders, shopkeepers, rotating savings and credit 

associations (RoSCAs), and the Hawillat and buses for 

money transfers. All formal institutions i.e. KCB, 

PostBank, Posta and Barclays Bank, are located within 

Garissa town. Despite the diverse range of providers, the 

informal system plays a major role in the delivery of 

financial services. 

10 

The Financial System in Garissa 

1. Shopkeeper 

2. Money lenders 

3. ROSCAs 

4. Local money transfer systems 

(Hawillat and Buses) 

5. PostBank 

6. Commercial Banks 

2.4.2 Savings 

All the respondents save in informal mechanisms including savings in kind, savings at home, RoSCAs 

and shopkeepers despite their small incomes mainly because they are faced with expenditure needs that 

surpass their regular incomes. None of the respondents studied, even those in Iftin, had savings with a 

formal institution. 

i. Saving in kind 

All respondents reported that the only means of savings is through buying animals (goats, cattle and 

camels) and selling them at a later stage when there are cash needs. Savings is mostly done in goats 

because not only do they require relatively low amounts of money to buy, but they are also resistant to 

drought. Some reported that due to the past severe drought floods, most animals died and now they do 

not have the wherewithal to save (in kind). Respondents identified the risks involved in this type of 

savings as death of animals and fall in prices when there are crises of floods, drought and emergencies; 

and the difficulty in converting animals into cash in cases of emergency. 

ii. Saving at home 

All respondents reported that they save some cash at home or on themselves (in their wallets) and 

move with it as they do their daily chores. They acknowledged that saving at home is extremely 

difficult because of the risks and pressures such as theft or careless spending on unplanned activities.

iii. Rotating Savings and Credit Associations (RoSCAs) 

A few of the respondents (mainly women) save cash with RoSCAs (or merry-go-rounds), but many of 

them do not belong to any RoSCA due to lack of trust or cash to save. 

iv. Shopkeepers 

Some respondents saved regularly with the shopkeeper for cash lump sum that they could access at any 

time and felt that it’s only at the shops that their money is secure and accessible. “We keep money in the 

local shop so that we do not lose it…if we keep it at home we will misuse the money”. 

2.4.3 Credit 

Discussions in remote rural areas revealed that almost all the respondents had never used any formal 

system to save or borrow money and had sketchy information about financial institutions and their 

services. It’s only in Balambala location that there was a women’s group that operates a savings 

account with KPOSB in Garissa town and understood how they operate. 

The major sources of credit therefore are friends, relatives, shopkeepers and moneylenders. Many of 

the respondents cannot access credit from money lenders because they do not have assets to put down 

as collateral as the only security most of them had were animals that died in the drought and floods. 

Those with animals find them too big to put in as collateral at pawnshops. The high credit months are 

January, April, May, September, October and December. In January credit is towards taking children to 

school and in the May, it is for meeting medical emergencies as there are many sicknesses during this 

month. Towards the end of year in December, it’s for Idd and New Year festivals. 

2.4.4 Money Transfer Services 

There are formal and informal providers of money transfer services in Garissa. Formal providers of 

money transfer services KCB, Barclays, KPOSB and Posta. Western Union operate within KPOSB 

and KCB branches in Garissa town while Posta has its normal money transfer products such as money 

orders and now its new PostaPay. The informal providers include individuals, friends and relatives as 

well as drivers and conductors of buses and matatus. Another form of an informal provider is the 

Hawillat which depends on telephone communication between individuals providers in the Hawillat 

business. 

Some of the respondents regularly receive money from relatives working in other towns of Kenya and 

beyond for school or colleges fees and for home up keep. The amount of money received ranges from 

Kshs2,000 and KShs3,000 at a time but depends on the income of the sender. Those under the OVC 

programme receive KShs1,000 per month from the Government through District Childrens’ Office 

Garissa and many of them had never received money from anyone other than the OVC money. The 

following are the means of money transfer used in Garissa in the order of usage and preference. 

i. The Hawillat System 

The Hawillat is one of the most common methods of 

sending or receiving money in Garissa. There are many 

players in the Hawillat System and some of their names are 

Amal Express, Kaah, Barwargo, Tawakal and Dahabshill. 

Hawillat is an informal money transfer system operated by 

rich men with networks all over the country and beyond. 

Transactions are mainly done through telephone calls. 

Once the money has been deposited into the Hawillat, the sender 

makes a call to the recipient directing him/her to pick money at a 

certain point, usually a wholesaler shop or a Hawillat agency. The 

preference for the system is hinged on its reliability, safety of the 

money and affordability. Respondents find the Hawillat as fast, 

11 

“My son gives money to a tycoon in 

Nairobi, who sends the money to 

another tycoon in Garissa, who then 

calls me to pick the money or sends 

it via matatu to Balambala” ~ A 

respondent in Balambala 

“Once you can be physically 

identified by the cashier, you will 

get your money without 

necessarily producing an identity 

card” ~ one respondent

cheap (as there are no charges to the recipient) and accessible as it operates within the community. The 

services of Hawillat are personalized as one is informed through phone calls of the presence of money. 

The only shortcoming of the Hawillat system is that it relies totally on telephone connectivity which is 

missing in most parts of Garissa. Balambala for example has neither a telephone connectivity nor 

electricity and cannot therefore benefit from this system. 

ii. Buses, Matatus and Landrovers 


the next commonly used method of money transfer in Garissa after the Hawillat system. “Money can be 

sealed in an envelope and given to a passenger going or coming from Garissa using the vehicles plying in the route”. 

Respondents consider it to be safe, low-cost and reliable as 

money is given to those that are trusted and have been used for a 

long time. Matatus and Land-rovers are the only means of money 

transfer between Garissa and Balambala as the Post Office 

branch that used to be in Balambala closed its offices two years 

ago leaving in place no formal means of money transfer. Matatus 

tend to be regular only during dry seasons but not when the roads are cut off by floods. Such money is 

put in envelopes and sent through buses, and Matatu drivers or conductors and picked by recipients 

from Garissa. 

iii. Commercial banks 

A few of the respondents, know about commercial banks as a means of money transfer, especially to 

pay school fees, but have never used them. They talk about the 

presence of Kenya Commercial Bank, Barclays Bank and Post Bank in 

Garissa and safety of money when one saves with them but report that 

these institutions have too many bureaucratic procedures, or as they 

say “Going around in circles”, when one wants services. There are however 

no commercial banks in remote parts of Garissa as respondents were 

unaware their presence. 

iv. Post Office 

A few of the respondents especially in remote areas such as Balambala used to send or receive money 

through the Post Office before it closed its branch. They report that while it operated, it was affordable 

and secure. In Garissa town, the Post Office did not come out as a significant provider of money 

transfer services. 

v. School Accounts 

This is an innovation among certain residents of Balambala. Since they have very few options for 

money transfers, they have agreed with the Balambala Primary School Committee to allow senders of 

money to deposit money directly into school account which is then withdrawn by the school 

committee and passed on to them. 

vi. Garissa District Children’s Officer (DCO) 

Many of the respondents have never received cash from outside except the OVC money that comes 

from the Government. Some of them especially the ones in Garissa town would prefer to receive any 

other money through the same office due to proximity and reduced risks of highway robbery as the 

cash get escorted by armed forces. 

vii. Hand Delivery 

A few of the respondents get cash delivered by 

hand but this did not come out as a very common 

method. It is sometimes be used to complement 

12 

“Vehicles are fastest method we 

know that can be used to transfer 

money. We do not operate bank 

accounts” ~ A respondent in 

Balambala 

“I trust KCB because unlike 

person to person it is more 

reliable and I can claim in 

case of loss” ~ a respondent 

in Iftin 

“Mostly we use person to person method…we 

enclose money in an envelope and give it to a 

messenger to deliver it to the intended person in 

Garissa...and the one in Garissa does the same”

the use of buses, and matatus. In this method, a messenger carries physical money and delivers it to the 

recipient. 

2.4.5 Reasons for Non-use of Formal Systems 

Respondents in Garissa town were quite different from their rural counterparts and had some sketchy 

knowledge of the products and services of financial institutions, even though they had never used 

them. The reasons for non-use of formal financial providers were mainly financial illiteracy and lack of 

information, lack of resources to save, and distance to the nearest financial institutions. 

i. Lack of Information/Financial Illiteracy 

Respondents in remote villages do not save in financial institutions and perceive them as expensive but 

also beyond reach in terms of distances. Respondents in Garissa were aware of the existence of 

financial institutions, but were not well-informed about the products and services, or the methods and 

processes used. Some explanations given by the clients about the products and processes were not 

clear and often created arguments among themselves. Respondents believed that bank accounts are 

for the rich and educated and perceived the staff of bank to be arrogant or unfriendly; or bank 

processes to be too bureaucratic. They felt too poor to spare money for savings. 

ii. Lack of resources 

Respondents reported that they did not have money to save and used all their incomes to meet 

household needs thus leaving nothing to save. Others feared to take loans either from institutions in 

Garissa town or money lenders and believed that they would be penalized for failure to repay these 

loans. Some of them were kept back because of the initial requirements needed to open accounts in 

banks and subsequent charges that would be levied on their accounts. 

iii. Distance/Proximity 

As much as some respondents would have liked to use the services of some institutions, the majority 

of them were not able to, because of the distances involved to access the services. All the locations 

visited were about 200 kms from Garissa town which made logistics of reaching Garissa complex. 

2.5 Conclusions and Recommendations 

2.5.1 Difficulties in Garissa and among respondents 

i. Garissa is prone to drought and floods and temperatures are very high ranging from 20 o C to 

38 o C. Apart from the areas along the Tana, the rest of Garissa is generally arid with poorly 

drained soils and low levels of rainfalls that cannot support farming. The main source of 

livelihood in Garissa district is nomadic pastoralism, but when there is drought or floods, 

animals die, leaving people with no source of livelihoods. When calamities occur, such as loss 

of cattle through drought or floods, Garissa town becomes the catchment area for such people 

who need employment or relief support. 

ii. Poor infrastructure (roads, hospitals, schools and telephone connectivity) in remote parts of 

Garissa causes difficulties in terms of cost of transportation and communication. Furthermore, 

the absence of infrastructural facilities like electricity hinders development of programmes in 

these remote areas. For example, mobile telephone connectivity ends 10kms away from Garissa 

town; road connections with towns such as Balambala and Dertu are some times non-existent 

and formal financial institutions including KPOSB are only found in Garissa town. This has 

pushed people to concentrate areas surrounding water points, market centres or areas with 

basic services like hospitals and schools. 

13

iii. The respondents belonged to two categories: guardians or orphans and vulnerable children 

(OVC) or those who relied on relief agencies and governments for relief food (Hunger Safety 

Net) categories. The difficulties are briefly explained: 

o Difficulties of paying school fees for children in secondary schools and difficulties in buying 

school items e.g. uniforms and books for primary school going children. The direct 

consequence of this is a highly illiterate society. 

o Difficulties in getting paid employment due to high levels of illiteracy and absence of 

industries in the district. 

o Difficulties in getting food as the soils cannot yield crops and the main source of 

livelihood, cattle, is sometimes wiped away by flood related diseases such as anthrax or 

rift valley fever or hunger as a result of drought. Investigation into the seasonal flows 

of incomes and expenditures revealed that respondents do not have any source of 

incomes for 8 months of a year. 

o Diseases and long illnesses is another major difficulty among respondents who are either 

widows or women whose husbands have migrated to look for employment. Such 

women have difficulties in providing basic necessities like medicines, food and clothes. 

Diseases such as malaria and diarrhoea are rampant after floods while long illnesses like 

pneumonia may be associated with cold after rains or any other source that did not 

come out clearly. 

o Lack of shelter is one of the major difficulties among respondents. The herios huts that are 

commonly built in Garissa leak are easily washed away during floods and harbour 

snakes or mosquitoes. 

2.5.2 Cash Demands and Coping Mechanisms 

Respondents need cash to meet their basic needs that include the following paying school fees for their 

children and the orphans under their care; buying food and repair their houses; buying drugs and cope 

with emergencies; and putting aside savings (mainly in kind – in livestock) to meet life cycle events 

such as marriage of children. 

The respondents live from hand to mouth mainly on relief food or proceeds from sale of charcoal, 

casual employment, or petty trade. The main coping strategy among respondents used to be liquidation 

of assets to raise cash to pay school fees, emergency hospitalization, or to buy drugs. However, today, 

they do not have cattle and many of them depend on relief aid and friends for food and other support or 

migration to look for casual labour, pasture, employment or petty trade. A few respondents close to River Tana 

practice subsistence farming. 

2.5.3 Demand for Financial Services: Savings, Credit and Money Transfer 

Garissa town has commercial banks such as KCB, PostBank, and Barclays Bank and Posta for money 

transfer services, while the rest of the District does not have formal financial institutions. Discussions 

in remote rural areas revealed that no financial institution exist in the towns or villages almost all 

the respondents had never used any formal system to save or borrow money and had sketchy 

information about financial institutions and their services. Posta closed its office in Balambala two 

years ago and no one uses its services any more. The major sources of credit therefore are friends, 

relatives, shopkeepers and to a small extent from moneylenders. Informal mechanisms for saving, 

borrowing and money transfer in Garissa District in terms of preference are: 

• Savings in kind (buying and selling animals) which is preferred but risky; 

• Saving at home in tins or pots; 

• Saving with shop keepers; and 

14

• Savings in groups (RoSCAs) which is not very common. 

The reasons for non-use of formal financial providers were mainly financial illiteracy and lack of 

information, lack of resources to save, and the long distance to the nearest financial institutions. 

In terms of money transfer services, discussions revealed that some of the respondents regularly 

receive money from relatives working in Nairobi and in other areas for school or colleges fees and for 

home up keep. Many of them use the Hawillat system, buses and matatus, and to a small extent 

individuals for money transfer. The Hawillat comes with several names such as Amal Express, Kaah, 

Barwargo, Tawakal and Dahabshill and is considered reliable, safe, affordable and with a personalized 

service. The only shortcoming of the Hawillat system is that it relies totally on telephone connectivity 

which is missing in most parts of Garissa. 


the next commonly used method of money transfer in Garissa after the Hawillat system and are 

considered to be safe, low-cost and reliable as money is given to those that are trusted and have been 

used for a long time. Matatus and Land-rovers are the only means of money transfer between Garissa 

and Balambala as the Post Office branch that used to be in Balambala closed its offices two years ago. 

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR GARISSA 

i. The general difficulties stemming from climatic conditions and the accompanying natural 

calamities including drought and floods make people who have no major source of livelihood 

quite vulnerable. Garissa is a good target region for hunger safety net project as every 

respondent requires further support. 

ii. One of the major difficulties in establishing any project in Garissa, be it Hunger Safety Net 

project or up scaled OVC project is the poor infrastructure, especially roads. The roads, in 

remote parts of Garissa are impassable or get easily cut off or washed away by heavy rains 

making accessibility to destinations impossible. The only accommodation in areas out of 

Garissa town is primary schools or chiefs’ houses. A project should take into account 

infrastructural difficulties such as the distances involved, poor roads, poor accommodation 

facilities and security issues in all areas out of Garissa town. 

iii. Similarly without financial institutions operating out of Garissa town, a new project providing 

financial services would be a complete innovation, requiring a lot of research on demand for 

such services and alternative delivery channels. Posta closed its office in Balambala two years 

ago and reasons for this closure would provide an indication of difficulties involved in 

transferring funds to such areas. The Hawillat operates well in areas with telephone 

connectivity and electricity and investigation of the Hawillat system and how it works should 

be the starting point for money transfer services. The use of buses and matatus is common in 

remote areas and an investigation of how this works would be important. 

iv. Respondents require lump sums to pay school fees for children in secondary schools and to 

buy school items e.g. uniforms and books for primary school going children. Due to the special 

nature of difficulties in Garissa, a direct linkage with the Government for up scaled bursary 

funds and assistance would support education in Garissa and improve levels of literacy among 

children of HSN and OVC target group. 

v. Cattle are the main source of livelihood among respondents and the absence of cattle makes 

them vulnerable. There is a need to link this HSN/OVC programme with a cattle re-stocking 

programme plus support activities as is done by some NGOs in Turkana. This will enable the 

15

espondents to have some form of income which they can use to meet basic needs e.g. 

purchase of drugs, food, clothes and shelter and even save. 

vi. The respondents believe that with some support from the Government, they can irrigate areas 

along river Tana and grow food crops. This project should lobby the Government for that 

support as it would drastically reduce dependency syndrome and those relying on HSN project. 

vii. Discussions revealed that there is high demand for money transfer services in remote areas of 

Garissa since many respondents get remittances from relatives and friends through the 

Hawillat. However, the level of this demand and that one for formal savings and credit is not 

known. Indications are that financial illiteracy could be a barrier but it that also comes from 

the absence of formal financial institutions to provide these services. More research needs to be 

done on this area. 

16

2.6 ANNEXES 

2.6.1 ANNEX 1:– RESEARCH QUESTIONS 

Using a methodology such as MicroSave’s Market Research for Microfinance, the answers to the 

following questions should be explored: 

• What is the current seasonality of cash flows – income and expenditure and demand for 

savings and credit? 

• What is the seasonality of migration? 

• What is the seasonality of casual employment? 

• How do life cycles impinge on demands for cash in the household, what coping strategies are 

used and what are the implications for cash-flow? 

• What crises have they faced this year, last year, 5 years and 10 years before? What coping 

strategies are used - what are the implications for cash-flow? 

• From which sources do they receive cash? 

o At which place, how regularly, in what form and how much? 

o Who in the household generates this cash? 

o Who in the household collects the cash? 

• How do they spend their cash? 

o For what purposes (distribution among key expenditure areas such as: food, clothes, 

household assets, social purposes, animals, agricultural inputs, education, medical bills, 

hiring labour, productive assets, building/improving house/shelter, buying land) 

o Where (which shops, trading centres, administrative centres etc), when during the 

month/year and in what proportions? 

o Who makes the decisions over the allocation of expenditure in the household? 

o Who is responsible in the household for undertaking the expenditure? 

• How do they save unused cash? 

• How do they make remote payments? 

• What usage do they currently make of any formal or semi-formal financial service providers? 

(banks, MFIs, SACCOs, etc)? 

• What usage to they currently make of any informal financial services providers (RoSCAs, 

ASCAs, moneylenders, shops etc)? 

• How do they perceive these providers (in terms of intangible factors – image, accessibility and 

tangible – levels of service levels, trust, security, etc)? 

• What is their relative preference among the factors identified distinguishing service providers? 

• How safe is it to hold cash? 

• For those without bank accounts, why not? 

17

o What changes would persuade them to open an account (distance/proximity of service 

point, reduction in costs, improved security, product features, friendliness/service, 

opening hours, access to credit, Sharia compliant?) 

o What features should an account have? (such as running costs, ledger fees, interest, 

minimum balances, accessibility/outlets) Which are the most important? 

• How literate and numerate are they? 

• How financially literate they are? 

o Are they aware of financial concepts such as ATM cards, etc 

18

2.6.2 ANNEX 2: FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDES 

(Objective: Examining the needs for, usage of and attitudes towards financial services) 

Focus Group Discussion Guide for Client Preferences 

Welcome 

Thank you for coming – we are grateful for your time. We are from an organisation called Microfinance House 

Ltd. Microfinance House Ltd is an organization that carries out research in microfinance. We have been 

requested by the FSDT-K, through the Children’s Department to talk to you and try to find out your needs for 

financial services, how you use financial services and how you view the programme (OVC) that has supported 

you for a while. We will share the details of these discussions will with Children’s Department and DFID so that 

they can improve the programme and the way they serve you. Your names will be kept confidential – so please 

do not be concerned and feel free to express your opinions about the programme and your needs openly. As a 

first step we should introduce ourselves. Please you start and we will follow. Tell us your name, what you do for 

a living and how many children (your own and orphans) you have been taking care of. 

Warm-up Questions 

19 

Probes 

1. Please tell us how long you have been taking 

care of orphans/vulnerable children? 

• Out of the number of children you are taking 

care of, how many are your own? How many are 

2. When did you join the OVC Programme? (not 

asked those who have not joined the OVC programme) 

not your own? 

Core Questions Probes 

3. What are the difficulties you face in taking care 

of these children? 

• If they face difficulties, probe on general 

difficulties such as lack of money to buy food, 

water, school fees, uniforms, books, clothes etc. 

4. How have you been able to solve some of these If they get financial assistance: 

difficulties you face in taking care of these 

children? 

• Probe on amounts of financial assistance 

from the OVC Programme and non-financial 

assistance. 

• Probe on amounts of financial assistance 

from relatives in towns and within and any 

other types of assistance they currently 

receive. 

5. If you were to send or receive money from 

your relatives, friends or well-wishers who 

would like to help these children through you, 

how would you do it? 

• Probe and get a list of formal, semi-formal 

and/or informal mechanisms of sending or 

receiving money in the district – people, buses, 

matatus, Western Union, MoneyGram, post 

office etc) without mentioning these 

mechanisms. 

• Probe on from where, amounts, locations of 

receiving or sending money, how often they 

receive or send money, which person goes to 

receive it; whether they sign for it or thumb 

print. 

• If thumb printing, probe for reasons why. 

6. What are some of the things that you spend 

money on in your household? 

• Probe such areas such as: food, clothes, 

household assets, social purposes, animals, 

agricultural inputs, education, medical bills, hiring 

labour, productive assets, building/improving 

house/shelter, buying land). 

7. How do you keep some money aside for future 

need? 

• Probe on where they save unused cash and 

institutions/mechanisms they use such as banks, 

microfinance institutions, SACCOs, Merry-Go- 

Round, ASCAs, moneylenders, shops etc; 

• Probe on for those who do not have bank 

accounts, why not.

8. If you were to use certain institutions to send 

or receive money, which one would you prefer? 

Why? 

20 

• Probe on whether they would open bank 

accounts if provided with opportunity. 

• If they keep money on their person, probe how 

safe it is. 

• If they use financial institutions or mechanisms 

to send or receive money, probe on the relative 

preference on factors such as image, accessibility 

and quality of service, trust etc. 

• What features should an account have? (such as 

running costs, ledger fees, interest, minimum 

balances, accessibility/outlets) Which are the 

most important? 

Closure 

Thank you your answers and discussion have been very helpful and informative. We are very grateful for the 

information you have provided. Do you have any questions or suggestions for us? 

2.6.3 ANNEX 3: TOOLS USED IN KWALE DISTRICT 

(A) TOOLS USED 

Life Cycle Analysis 

The Life-Cycle Profile seeks to identify the phases of a typical individual’s life-cycle and the key 

milestones in it. It determines which of the events require lump-sums of cash; to examine the 

implications of these for household income/expenditure; to establish current coping mechanisms; and 

then finally to discuss how access to MFI financial services can help the household respond to these. 

The information gathered can be useful in terms of designing financial product that match the various 

needs expressed at different milestones during a person’s life-cycle. 

Cash Mobility Mapping 

Cash Mobility Mapping was useful in identifying key sources of cash and their uses. The tool also 

allows for discussion for directions of cash movement and elicits indications of the volumes involved. 

Time Series of Crisis 

The time series can be used for both market research and impact assessment. Time series will help the 

PRA team: 

• Learn from the community how it views change overtime in various areas related to a series of 

crisis. 

• Integrate key changes into the community profile, which will simplify problem identification; and 

• Begin to organize the range of opportunities for improved financial services delivery. 

Seasonality of Income, Expenditure, Credit and Savings 

This tool was used to obtain information on seasonal flows of income, expenditure and demand for 

credit and savings services. A chart was drawn on a manila paper and participants were asked to place 

bottle tops to indicate the relative magnitude of income, expenditure, savings and credit variables 

resulting to an annual seasonality calendar. The calendar gave an insight into the income, expenditure, 

savings and credit patterns of the communities within the branches. The calendar can be interpreted in 

terms of financial intermediation needs of the community and their timings. 

Relative Preference Ranking

This tool was used with potential users of financials services to find out participants perceptions of the 

financial service providers and components of the Savings/loan products they provide. It was also 

used to understand people’s pre-conceived notions and attitudes towards financial service providers, 

what matters to them, and why they have certain preferences. The participants were asked to list all 

the financial service providers in their area and the elements they considered important when making 

banking decisions. They were then asked to rank the financial service providers of each element of the 

financial services they provided by use of bottle tops. 

Seasonality of Migration 

This tool was used with potential users of financial services to find out in what seasons migration for 

casual labour and employment occur in Garissa. 

2.6.4 FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSION OUTCOMES 

i. Focus group discussions with OVC beneficiaries at Bulla Iftin learning communities 

Point of discussion Discussion 

Economic activities Retail trade, hawking mirra, charcoal selling, milk vending and barber 

What are the difficulties you 

face in taking care of these 

children? 

• Lack of food, water – Most water is contaminated after the floods thus 

they lack clean water for consumption; this has led to an increase in 

Diarrhea cases, especially in children. Currently there are about 3 cases 

of deaths in the area (camp) daily. Can’t grow own food because it’s very 

expensive to farm in this area. Will require fertilizers, water for irrigation 

etc. 

• Malaria due to increased mosquitoes. Parents lack nets to cover the 

children. They are very expensive. 

• High costs of medical facilities. Even at government hospitals there is 

cost sharing which is expensive. 

• Lack of school fees. Especially for secondary education. Meeting costs 

of other scholastic materials like Uniform, books, etc 

How have you been able to 

solve some of these 

difficulties you face in taking 

care of these children 

• 

• 

Seek divine intervention through prayers 

Have resulted to smoking mosquitoes using Mwarubaine leaves. 

Marubaine is a tree whose leaves when burnt will cause smoke that 

kill/chases mosquitoes. During this time children are kept out of the 

house because it’s not good for their health. 

• Borrowing and taking children to hospital. Some times it’s hard to 

borrow, as no one is willing to lend money. This has led to deaths of 

children. 

• Relatives who are better off are asked for assistance. However this can 

only be done once. Relatives don’t like repetitive cases. “ukienda kwa 

Jamaa mara mingi watakuchukia” If you go to relatives many times 

they will hate you. So it’s a coping mechanism they will not like you to 

hang on. 

• Through DCO-OVC support. Initially was KShs500 per month now it’s 

KShs1,000 per month per child. And only one child is supported in 

every household. 

If you were to send or receive 

money from your relatives or 

friends who would like to help 

these children through you, 


• 

• 

Commonly used modes are shopkeepers and buses plying the Nairobi- 

Garissa route. Though they have heard of a few people using post office, 

post bank and Hawilaat (an informal system started by tycoons with net 

works all over the country and beyond for money transfer) 

Going to the well wishers premises 

• Through children’s office – OVC 

21

What are some of the things 

that you spend money on in 

your household? 

How do you keep some 

money aside for future need? 

If you were to use certain 

institutions to send or receive 

money, which one would you 

prefer? Why? 

• Through passengers on buses 

• Respondents had never received money any where else other than 

through the DCO-VCO office. Usually they pick the money themselves 

and those who know how to write sign for it, where as others just use 

their thumb prints. 

• Food 

• Clothing 

• Medical bills 

• Fees for formal schools and Madarasas 

• In cases of excess can buy a goat for future selling.( form of savings) 

• All respondents dint have a bank account in any formal institution. They 

acknowledged that due to lack of money they could not save. The little 

they get they use it for immediate house hold needs. Due to absolute 

poverty they could not save. Howe ever some agreed that they lacked 

knowledge about the banking industry. They need some education then 

can start saving some little amounts. Most of the guardians are illiterate. 

Thus given an opportunity many were willing to learn and start saving. 

• Regularly receive money from relatives working in Nairobi. Ranges from 

Kshs 2000 and 3000. This is mainly for home up keep and paying school 

fees 

• OVC- DCO Office cause it’s near their homes, DCO takes the money 

to the recipients at their homes. 

• Hawilat: Can easily go there at just a phone call and receive your money 

ii. Focus Group Discussion with Potential OVC Beneficiaries at Bulla Iftin Learning Communities 


Economic activities • Retail trade, hawking, grocery, charcoal selling 

What are the difficulties you face 

in taking care of these children? 

• One of the major difficulties is sickness, mainly due to malnutrition, 

malaria and pneumonia. The high level; of mosquito presence and 

un-affordability of mosquito nets in the area has contributed to the 

prevalence of malaria. The current rains are the major cause 

pneumonia. 

• Lack of steady income due to un-employment. In the area there are 

no employment opportunities. There are no industries or people 

who would seek casual laborers i.e. to work on farms etc. main 

source of income are handouts from relief agencies and 

government. Most people wake up and wait for these handouts. 

There is a lot of dependence and redundancy. The little income 

there is generated from sale of goats and cattle plus small-scale 

business like selling cigarettes, miira and vegetables. A few 

individuals do these. On average they earn about Kshs2,000 per 

month 

• It’s hard to meet the scholastic materials needs, such as books, 

uniform, fees for secondary school students and other school levies. 

On average secondary education cost is about Kshs 5,000 per term, 

which is a burden to these low-income earners. 

• Being an urban area, respondents complained of difficulties in 

payment of monthly house rent. A month rent ranges from Kshs 

1,000 – Kshs 1,500 per room. 

• Due to the death of spouses many mothers’ roles have changed to 

22

How have you been able to solve 

some of these difficulties you face 

in taking care of these children 


money from your relatives, friends 

or well wishers who would like to 

help these children through you, 


What are some of the things that 

you spend money on in your 

household? 

How do you keep some money 

aside for future need? 




prefer? Why? 

being household heads. This change of roles has come with 

difficulties in bringing up children with no fathers. Some of these 

difficulties include fending for the children i.e. providing food, milk, 

clothing and other necessities. 

• In order to generate income, they have resorted to collecting 

firewood; milk vending; operating groceries and hawking other 

merchandise. However most of these hawking businesses are illegal 

since they are not licensed. This has put them in a collision course 

with town council askaris who often harass them and some times 

taken to court. 

• Seeking treatment at the government hospital. However due to cost 

sharing treatment is still expensive. Due to high costs of medical 

some respondents have resorted to reading prayers over the sick. In 

most cases respondents acknowledged that prayers have worked. 

• Hawillat is the preferred MFI in the area. Respondents have used it 

and feel it is efficient. This is done through telephone calls any 

where in the world. The sender makes a call to the recipient 

directing him/her to pick money at a certain point, usually a 

wholesaler shop or the hawillat MFI agencies. These are usually 

prominent business men in the area. 

• KPOSB, is also preferred due to its low interest/charges on money 

transfers. Most respondents were complaining that when they use 

commercial banks there money is used “eaten” leaving them with 

nothing. 

• Use of buses, where money is given to either the driver or a relative 

traveling by bus. This is the mostly used mode of money transfer, 

because of trust, security for the money and low cost. 

• Food 

• Clothing 

• Medical bills 

• Education expenses 

• Respondent were saving through Merry go rounds, where individual 

members pool resources together in order to assist another member 

who may be in extreme difficulties. This is done in turns. However 

the beneficiary uses the money immediately to meet his/her urgent 

needs and hence no savings. 

• Respondents did not bank accounts due lack of, money for initial 

deposits, felt need Kshs5,000 to open an account. Respondents 

have knowledge about account opening but lack funds to open. 

• Cannot save even at home because they have no excess funds. All 

they have is used up on house hold needs 

• Hawillat - Quick and efficient, Distance/proximity –they are near to 

the respondents. 

• Respondents mentioned the banks; KCB and Post Bank though 

acknowledged that they don’t use them due bureaucratic 

procedures. “Going around in circles” 

o Receive money at months end. Some times amounts 

received are not fixed. They change depending on the 

income of the sender. 

o Receive money for home up keep and paying fees. 

iii. Focus Group Discussion with OVC Beneficiaries at Bulla Iftin Learning Communities 

Point of discussion • Discussion 

What are the difficulties • The respondents are generally faced with the following 

23

you face in taking care 


How have you been able 

to solve some of these 

difficulties you face in 

taking care of these 

children 

If you were to send or 

receive money from your 

relatives, friends or well 

wishers who would like 

to help these children 

through you, how would 

you do it? 

What are some of the 

things that you spend 

money on in your 

household? 

difficulties:- 

• Lack of basic needs such as food, water, shelter, clothing 

• “I have no money, no work; I just offload trucks, lack of shelter, lack of 

food, lack of treatment when they (children) are sick. The only property I 

have is an empty plot” 

• Unaffordable medical care 

• The respondents can’t afford the available formal medical 

care due to the relative high cost of treatment. 

• Lack of money for school fees, books, uniform 

• The children require school fees especially the secondary 

school going ones. 

• Due to lack of income and concrete income alternatives 

thus financing of education is a humongous problem. 

• Unemployment 

• “We just depend on God for our sustenance.” There are limited 

employment opportunities in the area thus a high level of 

unemployment amongst the locals. This contributes to poverty. 

• Malnutrition 

• “Lack of money results to inability to buy protein content/food supplies for 

the children thus making them malnourished” 

• Lack of support from relatives 

• Lack of alternative source of income other than GoK support 

• Delay in disbursement of OVC support monies 

• Seeking divine intervention 

• “God is the only one who can alleviate problems. We used to get KShs.500 

per month but as from February to June this year we have been getting 

KShs 1,000, but from July to date we haven’t received any money” This 

depicts a desperate scenario. 

• OVC support 

o “Through the OVC programme two of my orphans were 

taken to school” 

o “Through the OVC programme we sometimes get money for 

sustenance even though it delays”. 

o The OVC programme fills a critical cash gap 

though not regular. 

• Receive money through District Children's office 

• Hawilaat e.g. Amal Express 

• PostBank 

• Bank account 

o The respondents apparently have never used 

financial services to send out money other than 

receiving the cash payments through the DCOs 

office. They have no concrete awareness on the 

operations of the above mentioned service 

providers though they have had of them. 

• Food 

• Clothing 

• Medical 

• Fees 

• Rent 

• Shelter 

24


money aside for future 

need? 

If you were to use 

certain institutions to 

send or receive money, 

which one would you 

prefer? Why? 

• Mosquito nets 

• All participants did not have bank accounts. This may be 

attributed to the fact that their meager cash inflows are 

consumed in the demands for meeting basic expenditures thus 

leaving no savings 

• Hawilaat -Kaah, Barwargo, Tawakal, Dahabshill 

• Government DCO-OVC office 

• Banks -e.g. KCB 

• The respondents would prefer given an opportunity to send or 

receive monies through three modes 

o Hawilaat – this is an informal way of cash transfer 

that is fast(via a phone call) and is operated by 

tycoons – “you get your money very fast” 

o Government offices - this is because it is what 

they are used to receiving money through the 

DCO office 

iv. Focus Group Discussion with OVC Potential Beneficiaries at Bulla Iftin Learning Communities 


What are the difficulties 

you face in taking care 






children 







you do it? 




household? 



need? 


certain institutions to 

send or receive money, 

1. Lack of money and resources for subsistence and basic needs 

such as food, water and clothing 

2. Lack of money for meeting children’s school fees 

3. Most had no working relatives to support them 

4. Lack of shelter was also a common problem 

5. Lack of money to access medical care 

• Assistance from relatives 

• Engaging in economic activities -Sale of Firewood, Milk 

vending, hawking, grocery. The respondents generally relied 

on either family support from relatives while others were 

engaged in micro business such as embroidery, tailoring, 

grocery, collecting firewood. 

Receiving money through the DCO-OVC office 

Hawilaat e.g. Amal Express – this mechanism is preferred for 

it is fast and safe and to some extent personalized as the 

recipient is called to collect their money 

Direct payment to institutions of learning for the student’s 

school fees 

Through village chief or community leaders –they preferred 

this method because the leaders know where they live and also 

know them personally 

Postbank – they did not have accurate information as most do 

not have bank accounts 

• Food 

• Fees 

• Investment in Livestock 

• Investment in small scale business e.g. shops 

• The respondents don’t save due to limited incomes if any. 

• Hawilaat – informal system viewed as fast and no charges to 

the recipient 

• Banks –KCB – give notification and viewed as safe way of 

25

which one would you 

prefer? Why? 

sending or receiving money 

v. Focus Group Discussions with OVC Beneficiaries in BALAMBALA DIVISION 




children? 



difficulties you face in taking 

care of these children 


money from your relatives, 

Lack of clothing-Respondents high cost of purchasing clothing for their 

orphaned children considering the high number of children in each 

household-“maugathi karta unug walba daar adhi oo sabool”- can you buy 

clothing for every child when you are poor? 

Lack of food. Here farming is done on a small scale along the shores of 

Tana River. Millet is mainly planted. However this can not meet the house 

hold feeding needs, leaving the house hold depend on food rations from 

world food programme and government. Due to bad roads and distances 

involved some of these rations take long to reach the area. Other sources 

of food are animal products like camel milk and meat. However due to 

the recent draught, animals were reduced considerably. Most families as 

of now don’t have even a single animal 

High education costs. Education-books, uniform, secondary and tertiary 

institutions costs. “Non of my three children who graduated from primary two years 

ago, has managed to go to secondary school and are currently at home” said Dubow 

Yusuf. 

Cost of secondary education is about KShs2,000 per term. 

In-accessibility to health institutions-The nearest district hospital is about 

200km from Mbalambala and hence transport cost is costly and 

unaffordable. The only available transport is an old land rover 

“Mbalambala liners” plying Garissa – Mbalambala after every two days 

during dry seasons and unpredictable during rainy season. Transport 

charges ranges from Kshs400 to 500 per person exclusive of meals on the 

way, which may cost about Kshs300 by the time the passenger reaches 

Garissa. 

Poor shelter. Respondents stay in temporary makeshift huts called “herios” 

These are Somali traditional temporary shelter. They normally leak during 

rainy seasons. Due to the architectural design of these huts, snakes have 

also taken habitation in these shelters thus causing deaths due to 

snakebites. Mosquitoes are also common since they can enter through the 

many holes in the hut. At least each family has been given mosquito nets 

by aid agencies to counter the mosquito menace. 

Lack of water. The major source of water is Tana River but it’s a distance 

and the water is dirty and not good for consumption. A jerry can of clean 

water costs Kshs10, which is very expensive for most households. This is 

got from the boreholes, sunk through the Pastoral association; by the 

government through the Arid land Project. 

Most women go and pick firewood for sell in order to earn some little 

income to meet basic needs. Others operate small groceries. 

Those with no income at all have resorted to seeking support from 

relatives, friends and well-wishers. Somali tradition encourages well off 

people to support others. This has greatly benefited families who have 

nothing to at least be able to meet some basic needs. 

Use of animal skins and locally assembled logs as beds. In addition 

shelters have been re-enforced with polythene covers from Aid agencies, 

which are used to shelter occupants from rain. 

Depending relief handouts from NGO,s such as Kenya Red Cross and 

CARE Kenya. 

• By hand delivery. Sending someone to the recipient 

• Use of matatu. Landrovers plying Mbalambala route. 

26

friends or well wishers who 

would like to help these 

children through you, how 

would you do it? 





money aside for future need? 




prefer? Why? 

• Use of Hawilaat. 

• Through District children OVC office: They preferred OVC office 

because of no transport costs involved as the office would bring the 

money to them, secondly will have no risks such as highway robberies as 

usually this money will be escorted by armed guards. 

• Organized location group. Some of these groups have accounts in the 

bank. (KCB Garissa). So this money can be put on the group accounts 

then the group treasure would withdrawal on their behalf. 

• Some respondents also mentioned the school account as their preferred 

mode. This operates in such away that the school committee makes the 

withdrawal from the school account and disburses to the beneficiaries. 

The school account involved here is for Mbalambala primary school. 

• Sustenance-Firewood, tea soaps, cooking oil, vegetables and milk. 

• Clothing. 

• Medical expense. 

• Buying water –cost of water is KShs10 per 20 litre jerry can. 

• Purchase of firewood, kerosene and charcoal. 

• Purchase of Mosquito nets and mosquito coil. A mosquito net cost from 

Kshs500 to Kshs 700 

• Respondents didn’t have any formal savings like bank accounts etc due to 

high poverty levels and distances to the nearest banking institution. 

• However even informal savings mechanisms were not being practiced. 

Respondents had never used any merry go round, other than a few 

keeping camels and goats for future selling. 

• Being ignorant of banking information the respondent’s do not have any 

preference for account features. 

vi. Focus Group Discussions with Potential OVC Beneficiaries in BALAMBALA DIVISION 




children? 




taking care of these children 

• Difficulty in meeting school expenses i.e. books, stationery, 

clothing, madrassa fees etc due to lack of money 

• High cost of meeting medical expenses. Major diseases are 

malaria and pneumonia. 

• Lack of food due to draught and floods. Current floods 

have been in the area for about two months, thus causing a 

lot of havoc especially blocking the roads that are a major 

supply route of food to this area. 

• Lack of good nutrition for the children. The most affected 

are those below the age of five. The food they eat is mainly 

proteins. They lack fruits and other minerals. The only 

available stable food is meat and milk. 

• Lack of proper shelter to accommodate children. Available 

shelters are make-shift huts that leave the children prone to 

mosquito bites causing constant malaria. 

• Seek divine intervention through prayers. Children are 

taken to Sheiks for prayers when they can’t afford or access 

hospital facilities. 

• Engaging in income generating activities like selling of fire 

wood, operating of mobile shops, mat making, sell of 

“Dufuls” and charcoal burning. 

• Support from relatives who are well off, particularly during 

27




wishers who would like to 

help these children through 

you, how would you do it? 






need? 


institutions to send or 

receive money, which one 

would you prefer? Why? 

school holidays the school going children are sent to their 

relatives to source for support. The children are some times 

given clothing, goats and money for upkeep. 

• Matatu plying Mbalambala – Garissa road. They preferred it 

because it’s regular and secure especially during the dry 

season. 

• Through individual passengers on Matatu 

• Use Matatu is the only means of communication between 

Mbalambala and Garissa. 

• Food 

• Clothing 

• Medical bills for the orphans 

• Fees for formal schools 

• Buying of mosquito nets 

• The mostly used saving mechanism was through saving in 

kind by buying animals for sell in future. Others were saving 

through tins/boxes kept at home, whereas others were in 

merry go rounds. 

• A few of the respondents had invested money in income 

generating activities to enable them generate profits. 

Respondents could not save in banks due to lack of money 

and long distances between their location and the banks. 

Also expressed fear that all their initial deposits could be 

eaten up by the bank charges leading to closure of accounts 

• Barclays Bank , Barclays bank has reopened in Garissa, and 

they feel its more secure than the others like 

• Post bank. Very secure and all know about it since at one 

time it was in Mbalambala. 

• Hawilaat. Although services are fast, there is no way people 

in Mbalambala can benefit due to lack of proper 

communication.( Mbalambala has no network coverage for 

any telephone operator in Kenya) 

vii. Focus Group Discussion with Potential Financial Service Users in Balambala 


Economic activities Casual labourer, butchery, hotelier, shopkeeper, firewood dealer, teacher, 







you do it? 




household? 

businesswoman 

• Matatu plying Garissa-Mbalambala route 

• Hawilat 

• Kenya Post Bank. This was there initially but due to lack of business has 

closed and shifted to Garissa town. 

• Purchase of milk, meat, firewood, cooking oil and above all kerosene for 

lighting. 

• Education cost for their children such as books, pens, pencil, shoes and 

uniform. They also pay for costs attributed non secular education such as 

Madrasa and Duksi and payment of teachers’ salary to these non secular 

schools. 

28



need? 



receive money, which 

one would you prefer? 

Why? 

• Medical expense for themselves and their children. 

• Shelter improvements-Purchase of polythene papers for their huts to avoid 

leakages during rainy seasons and purchase of “dufuls”-local mat used as 

roofing 

• Lock box. Most respondents acknowledged saving money in a box at home. 

They felt that it is safe because they are the custodians of the keys. It’s a 

common saving mechanism in the location. This is due to absence of banks, 

and lack of minimum deposits to open accounts for those who can travel to 

Garissa. It is also due to the nature of small deposits that are dropped in the 

box. 

• Saving through purchase of livestock and selling later when it is profitable. 

• Merry go round. Community members, mostly women pool resources together 

to assist the needy in that particular group. This is done in turns until all the 

members benefit from the association 

• Most of the respondents do not operate bank account since no banks exist in 

Mbalambala and the nearest bank is located over 200km from the location. 

• Hawilat: It is fast and quick. There are no bureaucratic procedures like those in 

commercial banks. “Once you can be physically identified by the cashier, you will get your 

money without necessarily producing an identity card”. The personnel in this institution 

are friendly. 

• Matatu or relatives traveling: this is regular and reliable since it comes on daily 

basis during dry spell. Trustworthy- relatives who are given the money are 

normally close kin and hence will not steal from their kinsmen though there 

are reported incidences where sometimes money gets lost. 

viii. Focus Group Discussion with OVC Beneficiaries Balambala 

Discussion Point The Discussion 

What are the difficulties you face in 

taking care of these children? 

Ways in which they overcome these 

challenges/difficulties 

Lack of basic need –Food 

”Due to Lack of income we are not able to afford food supplies” 

This problem is mainly due to lack of income. 

Malaria due to lack of mosquito nets. 

Medical care: The residents have problem-raising money to go for 

treatment when they fall sick. 

School fees: The poverty level make education unaffordable for the 

residents who have problem raising fees and meeting other costs 

such as books. 

“We have problems raising school fees, buying pencils and paying examination 

fees for our children” 

Lack of resources/income e.g. Livestock 

“Before my husband died he used to collect firewood for sale and get family some 

income, but now since he is no longer there I have no energy to play his role and 

raise the income” 

Assistance from relatives – the participants turn to relative for 

assistance in meeting medical and transport costs. They also seek 

credit to meet day to day obligations and needs. 

OVC support 

Through the DCO office we get money. “Before we used to get KShs500 

every month but as from February this year we are paid KSh1,000 however from 

June this year to date we have not received any money” 

29

What they use cash on • Food 

How the beneficiaries save 

If you were to use certain institutions to 

send or receive money, which one would 

you prefer? Why? 

ix. Focus Group Discussion with Potential OVC Beneficiaries Balambala 


Small Scale farming 

“I practice small scale farming along the river, I grow bananas, paw paw, 

tomatoes, ndengu (green grams)… this produces a source of income” 

Bursaries and handouts from politicians 

“…the area member of parliament supports the children through bursary 

schemes… even the area councilor sometimes raises school fees for the children” 

Support from neighbors 

“When we are in crisis we sometimes seek support from neighbors like money to 

buy food for the children” 

Divine intervention “God is the one who gives me children and is the one who 

takes care of them” 

Relief supplies from Government and other agencies 

“From the Government we receive food stuff such as maize, beans, cooking oil, 

wheat flour, maize flour. But government help is not constant, we receive the 

supplies after every 2 months and sometimes they delay even for three months” 

• Clothing 

• Medical 

• Fees 

• Rent 

• Shelter 

• Keeping animals for sale – “I buy livestock in the market and sell it in 

Garissa” 

• Merry Go Rounds – “I used the money from the merry go round to set 

up small shop for selling cigarettes, sweets and clothes” 

• Box – “” In keep my proceeds in a box because there is no other safer place 

to keep it”Shopkeeper – “I keep my money in a shop because it safer 

than where I live” 

Postbank – “We shall open an account with Postbank in Garissa town as a 

group whereby we shall be having a chairman, treasurer who shall be signing for 

any transaction… therefore we shall give our Postbank account number for 

anyone who wishes to assist us… and we believe it is safe” 

Through village committees(elders) – “Money should be sent via village 

elders because they know us in person and they know where we stay” 

Via road transport – “Money can be sealed in an envelope and given to a 

passenger going or coming from Garissa using the vehicles plying in the route” 

The preferred transfer mechanism was Postbank because they feel it 

is safer and would like to receive the monies as a group. 

“Unlike the bank the post office will not charge for transactions and is also 

safe…we regard the Postbank as very important because it is known as the 

financial centre where money transactions take place” 

30


What are the difficulties you face in 

taking care of these children? 

Ways in which they overcome these 

challenges/difficulties 

Lack of basic need- Food 

“Because of the nature of this area we do not grow a lot of food that’s why we cant 

get sufficient food always” 

Drought 

“The difficulties I faced was a constant drought which virtually killed all my 

animals hence made me to depend on other people for my children’s upkeep “ 

Lack of school fees 

”I do not have income to pay their (children) school fees.. They need school 

uniforms, pencil, books and for those in boarding schools, they need beddings and 

pocket money… which I can’t afford” 

Unaffordable medical care 

“I do not have money and I do not work… the medical fee is a burden and costly 

especially when you are referred to Garissa for further treatment.” 

• Engaging in business activities- such as operating shop , hotel 

(selling tea and chapattis) and livestock when need arises to cater 

for the children. 

• Assistance from relatives – “ My children in Garissa send me money for 

my sustenance and their siblings”. 

• Relief supplies from the Government – “ We occasionally receive 

foodstuffs i.e. maize, cooking oil, beans from the government to sustain our 

children… without these life could be more miserable”. 

What they use cash on School fees 

“The first priority is paying school fees because I believe if they finish the school 

they may get jobs and help us again” 




Investment in livestock 

“I invest in livestock so that when there is better market I resell so that I get 

some small profit” 

Investment in small scale businesses e.g. shops - 

“I started a small business/shop in order to sustain them (children) economically” 

Wheel chair for disabled dependant 

“I used the money to buy a wheel chair for my child who is disabled” 

Food 

“I use the money to buy food for my children because they need energy to walk 

study and do everything…without food they can’t survive” 

Merry Go Round – “I use the money from the merry go round to expand my 

business” 

Postbank – “I deposit the money in Post Bank because it is safe and they do not 

charge too much money for their services” 

Shopkeeper – “we keep the money in the shop because we do not have a bank 

here and we believe it is safer than our homes” 

Women Groups – “ we keep money with women groups because when we keep 

it at home we may misuse it… therefore we believe that they can handle that 

money safely” 

The respondents prefer use of road to deliver money. “Mostly we use 

person to person method…we enclose money in an envelope and give it to a 

31


money, which one would you prefer? 

Why? 

messenger to deliver it to the intended person in Garissa...and the one in Garissa 

does the same” 

KCB was preferred for money transfer because 

“We believe it is safe and you can keep unlimited amount of money” 

x. Focus Group Discussion with Potential Users of Financial Services in Balambala 


What they use cash on • Food 

• Fees 

• Investment in Livestock 




receive money, which one 

would you prefer? Why? 

• Merry go rounds – “I use the merry go round to boost my business” “By being a 

member of the merry go rounds one can meet some of the needs such as basic needs…also 

one can get business ideas from the group” 

• Box – “I keep the money in the box for safety purposes because we do not have elsewhere 

to keep the money” 

• Women Groups – “We opened an account at KCB Garissa as Rahole Women 

Group where we receive money from well wishers and government and we use the same 

bank to save our small income” 

The respondents would prefer using a messenger who carries money in an 

envelope and boards the Mbala Mbala – Garissa matatu to deliver money. 

“We prefer this method because it free and there is no other method available” 

Preferred institutions 

• Hawlilaat 

“My son gives money to a tycoon in Nairobi, who sends the money to another tycoon in 

Garissa, who can either call you to pick the money or sends it via matatu to Mbala 

Mbala” . 

• Banks- KCB 

“I trust KCB because unlike person to person it is more reliable…that you can claim in 

case of loss” 

• Individuals 

“You can give money to a trusted person to deliver the money to the destination” 

xi. Focus Group Discussions with Potential Users of Hunger Safety Net in Dertu Communities- 

Potential Users Of HSN 



you face in taking care of 

your households 





children 

If you were to send or • Not asked 

• Unemployment – the respondents find the unemployment condition desperate 

and contributing to lack of income. 

• Drought –“When all livestock die because of drought the economic strength of the family 

goes down…when there is drought nobody gives you credit to survive as there is no collateral 

i.e. livestock” 

• Sickness – “When a person does not get enough proteins nutrients in diet during drought 

they become vulnerable to sickness and die” 

• Sale of firewood to buy food 

• Sale of livestock to generate family income 

32

eceive money from your 





you do it? 




household? 



need? 





Why? 

• Food –“Because children are hunger prone…this causes a lot of stress to the parents… who 

has to look for money to buy food” 

• Clothing – “Because we need protective garments and shoes to prevent sickness” 

• Credit Repayment – “We use the money to repay the debt we incur during hardship 

times” 

• Investing in animals – buying animals and reselling at later date to generate 

profit 

• “Vehicles are fastest method we know that can be used to transfer money…we do not 

operate bank accounts” 

xii. Focus Group Discussions with OVC Guardians in Dertu. 




these children? 





children 







you do it? 

• Lack of basic needs –clothing, shelter “We need shelter because when an orphan grows 

old (over 13 years) we say the person has attained adulthood and if he is a boy he needs a 

different house … that’s why we need a separate shelter for him” 

• Lack of school fees “We need school uniforms, shoes, mosquito nets… all these cost a lot 

of money…we cannot afford” 

• Lack of transport “We pastoralists keep on shifting from one place to another…when we 

are shifting our main problem is transport since we do not have means of travel other than the 

animals which are not reliable (fast)” 

• Drought – “Here in Dertu we are normally faced with constant drought which kill all our 

animals thus making us poor, this coupled with other problems makes us so vulnerable to 

food insecurity” 

• Lack of birth certificates-some participants pointed out that they have a 

difficult time getting birth certificates especially the orphans whose fathers are 

not known to the chief 

• OVC programme -The respondents rely on the OVC programme “the OVC 

program has assisted… they give KShs.1000 every month and we use it to buy clothes/food 

for the orphans” 

• Assistance from relatives – “as a guardian, I gave them some of my livestock so that in 

future they can sell them and pay for their school fees” 

• Self Help Groups – the respondents have initiated a community-based 

organization, which raises funds for vulnerable members of the community. 

• Government and other NGOs like Red Cross do provide handouts from time 

to time in Form of foodstuffs. 

There are two main mechanisms for sending/receiving money: 

1. The respondents get the OVC support through DCO’s office 

2. Road transport using a messenger carrying the money in an envelope “We 

use person to person mechanism for sending/receiving money” 

33




household? 



need? 





Why? 

• Clothing 

• Transport 

• Fees 

• Shelter 

• Keep livestock e.g. goats, for future sale: “We invest in livestock with the aim of 

selling them when the price is good” 

• Keep savings in a cash box “We feel the box is safest” 

• With the shopkeeper “We keep money in the local shop so that we do not lose it…if we 

keep it at home we will misuse the money” 

“We do not have post office or bank in this area” 

The respondents rely on the road transport for money transfer. 

xiii. Focus Group Discussions with OVC Guardians in Dertu. 


Economic activities Charcoal selling, grocery shop, herdsman 

What are the • Lack of basic needs and difficulty in sustaining the orphaned children due to lack of 

difficulties you face meaningful employment. Respondents found it difficult to meet the day to day 

in taking care of needs of the family. 

these children? • Clothing - Due to the high poverty level the respondents cannot afford a decent 

clothes and have resorted to use if mitumba cloths which are cheap and which is 

within their reach in terms of affordability. 

• Education - Although primary education is free in this area and Kenya in general 

participants have to meet the high cost of secondary education and uniform for 

their primary education as well as other expense on attaining non formal education 

such as fees for madrasa and duksi. Participants have to bear the burden of paying 

the salary of these teachers in the non formal sector. 

• Poor shelter – The respondents are housed in makeshift shelters which are prone to 

flooding. Due to the on-going heavy rain most of the members are homeless with 

poor or even no bedding. This has made some seek refuge at camps of 

humanitarian agencies. Most complained from lack of nets making them vulnerable 

to mosquito bites and malaria is a common in this flooded area which has become a 

breeding ground for mosquitoes. 

How have you been Most of the members have taken their children to school under the free primary 

able to solve some of education programme. This, they said, will alleviate their problems when the 

these difficulties you children graduate from primary and secondary education and get employment at a 

face in taking care of later date. 

these children Some members have resorted to income generating activities such as sale of 

firewood, charcoal burning and small scale retail shop. 

Taking the sick to hospital. However the distance involved in seeking medication at 

Garissa and lack of money for transport cost makes some to seek local herbal 

medicine and seek divine intervention through prayers. 

Seeking support from relatives-Poor members of the community source support 

from the well-off through charity/alms. Most of the members being predominantly 

Muslim their religion encourage the well off to contribute 2 ½ % of their gross 

assets to the poor annually. 

OVC Programme - All participants get KShs1,000 monthly from the District 

Children Office. This has assisted them greatly in secure and purchase of basics for 

34

If you were to send 

or receive money 

from your relatives, 

friends or well 

wishers who would 

like to help these 

children through 

you, how would you 

do it? 


things that you 

spend money on in 


How do you keep 

some money aside 

for future need? 


certain institutions 

to send or receive 

money, which one 

would you prefer? 

Why? 

their orphaned children such as books, uniform, milk, sugar etc 

• Use of matatu to Garissa town 

Purchase of rations such as rice, sugar, milk ,cooking oil etc 

Purchase of diesel for the bore hole - Members buy for the borehole operation to 

enable them get water for their animals. 

Clothing. 

Medical expense. 

Shelter improvement such as purchase of Dufuls and polythene papers for their 

makeshift. 

Education expense such as books for their secondary school and payment of 

their school fees. 

• Through purchase of goat for sale at a later date with profit 

• Through investing income generating activities. like buying charcoal 

• Invest through making of locally housing construction materials. 

• Savings through Merry Go Rounds. 

• Through safe custody with shopkeepers. 

Group members could not make a comparison with any institution since none exist in 

the area. However they preferred the usual means of using matatu. 

xiv. Focus Group Discussions with Potential OVC Guardians in Dertu. 




children? 

• Drought has wiped out the animals - Most of the group members are 

predominantly pastoralists and earn there living through herding of 

animals and hence source of livelihood. However most of these animals 

died due to the past year’s drought making sustenance of their children 

difficult. 

• There is high poverty level in the location and hence difficulty in 

meeting basic needs for their children such as books, school fees, 

clothing, medication and other necessities. 

• Lack of gainful employment has also compounded the already existing 

problem. The location is cut off from the rest of other areas and there 

no industries and entrepreneurs where the vulnerable members of the 

group can go for employment. This has forced the community to rely 

on relief supplies from humanitarian organizations and hence 

dependency syndrome. 

• The biggest challenge in this location is that widows are now household 

heads due to demise of their spouses and thus dual role i.e. They carry 

both domestic role as well that of the fathers. Some of these difficulties 

include fending for the children i.e. providing food, milk, clothing and 

35


solve some of these difficulties 

you face in taking care of these 

children 


money from your relatives, 

friends or well wishers who 

would like to help these 

children through you, how 

would you do it? 




How do you keep some money 

aside for future need? 




prefer? Why? 

other necessities. 

• They sell vegetables & potatoes 

• Government efforts through OVC 

• They get relief food. However due to floods they have spent about 

three months without. 

• The sick are taken to hospital 

• Some get Zakat (alms given to the poor) from relatives 

Through matatu 

• Food 

• Medical 

• Clothing 

• Through merry go round 

• Savings through purchase of animals 

Didn’t have any preference. They have never hard of an institution. 

xv. Focus Group Discussions with Potential Hunger Safety Net Target Group in Dertu 




these children? 





children 







you do it? 




household? 

• Lack of meaningful employment makes it difficult for one to sustain the 

orphaned children 

• Purchasing of clothing for children is difficult because of the economic 

problems they are facing 

• Education expenses: secondary school 

• Poor shelter 

• Seek divine intervention through prayers 

• Borrowing from friends. 

• Relatives who are better off are asked for assistance. 

• Through travelers coming on foot 

• Through matatus 

• They spend on food, milk, vegetables, and meat. 

• Also spend on clothing 

• Purchase of clean water from the borehole. A 20 Jerry can of water costs 

Kshs10 

36



need? 





Why? 

• Purchase of drugs for both animals and family members 

• Batteries for torches. 

• Through merry go round 

• Buy animals, especially goats for reselling at a later date. 

• Through Hawilat this entails sending money to a relative through prominent 

businessmen. These businessmen make a call to the recipient to collect the 

same from their branches at the grass root level. 

• In the area there are no available financial institutions to offer such services. 

37

2.6.5 OUTCOMES OF PRA TOOLS 

i. Time Series of Crisis with OVC beneficiaries at Bulla Iftin learning communities 

Economic activities: Retail trade, hawking, charcoal, milk vending, and barber 

PRA TOOL: Time Series of Crisis Analysis 

Event/ 

Crisis 

Now Last 

year 

5 yrs 

ago 

10 

years 

ago 

Reasons Current coping 

mechanism 

Drought *** ***** *** • The rains have stopped the 

drought but have destroyed 

gardens 

• Five years ago the drought was 

so severe that it killed both 

animals and people. 

Floods ***** ***** • Currently the whole region has 

been hit with floods. All roads 

are impassable, crops and 

homesteads destroyed. 

• 10 years ago it was El-Niño 

rains that caused the floods. 

Deaths - 

Livestock 

Sickness- 

Malaria, 

Diarrhea 

***** **** **** **** • Current floods have caused 

deaths of livestock. 

• There is an increase of foot and 

mouth disease 

• Currently there is fodder 

scarcity, causing cattle deaths 

• Its Mathenge plant that can 

survive yet its poisonous to 

cattle. Mathenge is a plant that 

was introduced by government 

in its fight against 

desertification but has ended 

up creating more harm to the 

communities. 

• In the past years deaths were 

due to lack of pastures because 

of draught. 

***** *** ** ***** • Floods have contaminated 

drinking water leading to 

escalation of diseases. In 

addition, stagnant water has 

become a source of breeding 

places for mosquitoes leading 

to increase in malaria cases. 

38 

• Have camped near on 

high lands as they wait 

for relief supplies from 

WFP and 

Government. 

• Some have come to 

town to do petty 

business and also settle 

there 

• Sold off most animals 

especially camel and 

cattle. Remained with a 

few goats that can 

stand hard conditions 

un-like other animals. 

• During Barazas chiefs 

have talked about 

Mathenge plant and 

some have started 

uprooting it. However 

it multiplies at a higher 

rate. 

• Smoke out mosquitoes 

using Marubaine 

• Walk distances looking 

for clean water – River 

Tana 

• Sometimes cant cope 

just look and watch as 

children die 

• Borrow from friends 

or seek help from 

relatives to take 

children to hospital.

ii. Time Series of Crisis with Potential OVC Beneficiaries (an FGD and TSC with the same group) 

Crisis Explanation Trends Coping Mechanisms 

Floods • Floods were rampant in 

1996 due to the El-Nino 

phenomenon. These 

floods killed so many 

animals and people. This 

same scenario has 

happened a gain this year. 

Most animals have been 

killed, roads impassable 

thus causing relief supplies 

not reaching the intended 

people. A few people have 

in these floods and many 

homes destroyed. 

• Currently people are 

living in refuge camps in 

make shift-huts, which is a 

danger to their health due 

to rampant mosquitoes. 

Draught • “From 2001 to 2005, the 

drought was severe, hitting 

hard in 2005. The group 

members lost most of 

their stock and some 

people died of hunger. 

• The animals that dint die 

were sold off at give away 

prices to traders from 

Nairobi and Garissa town 

Disease 

– 

Malaria 

• Because of the current 

floods the area has 

becoming a breeding 

ground for mosquitoes. 

Many kids have died of 

malaria and group 

members feel malaria has 

taken up a big chunk of 

family budgets towards 

treatment and purchase of 

mosquito nets 

• Relief agencies like 

CARE and Red Cross 

have done a great job by 

providing anti-malarial 

drugs and free mosquito 

nets through mobile 

outreach 

4-0-1-5 

• The trends of the floods 

are not predictable. 

However group 

members believe that 

they happen usually after 

a long drought. They 

anticipate that floods 

will continue until 

January 2007. This is 

considered a major crisis 

because they displace 

families, block roads, 

thus cutting off whole 

area s from 

communication and the 

rest of the world. 

0-5-3-0 

• The group didn’t have 

any trends on drought 

but only remember that 

it was severe in the last 

five years. 

3-2-4-5 

Through the ten years 

malaria has been rampant 

in the area only reducing 

in 2005 due to the 

draught. 

39 

• Migrate to refuge camps where 

relief food and shelter is given. 

• Some families sell their animals to 

avoid losing them to floods. 

• Travel to Garissa and seek refuge 

their in addition to doing petty jobs. 

• Cut on food. The amount of food 

taken is reduced. Resort to savings 

in terms of food that they conserve 

for dry seasons. 

• Go to cities, such as Nairobi and 

Garissa to look for food and casual 

labour. 

• Go to refuge camps where food is 

given 

• “Work harder” 

• Buy mosquito nets 

• Taking ant-malarial drugs.

Crisis Explanation Trends Coping Mechanisms 

Disease 

– Foot 

and 

mouth 

• This is attributable to the 

current floods. 

• Others due to ticks, 

which cause miscarriage in 

2-3-3-5 

1996-2006 – foot and 

mouth disease was always 

• “Just leave at the mercy of God” 

cattle 

there, but it was treatable. 

2006 it’s hard to treat to 

lack of medicine due to 

impassable roads and high 

cost. 

Wild 

Life 

Menace 

• The area is located along 

Tana River, which hosts 

various wild beasts like 

hyenas, lions, elephants 

and monkeys. 

• These attack both 

human and livestock 

• These animals also 

5-5-5-5 

These trend has always 

been there and there is no 

hope of it stopping 

• Reporting to wild life personnel 

and some times are 

compensated for the loss. 

Though bureaucratic and takes 

length period for the 

compensation to reach the 

beneficiary 

destroy some crops. 

• Usually the compensation 

amount is litte. This amounts 

to Kshs 30,000 for loss of life 

and Kshs 15,000 for loss of 

animals 

iii. Time Series of Crisis with OVC Guardians in Dertu 

Crisis 

Long illness/ 

Malaria 

Explanation 

• Currently there are few mosquito 

nets 

• 1 year ago – there were no rains and 

not many breeding grounds for the 

mosquito 

• 5years ago –we had similar problems 

• 10 years –was same scenario as 5 

years ago 

Lack of food • Currently the heavy rains make it 

difficult for vehicles carrying relief 

food to deliver to the village 

• 1 year ago –the prolonged drought 

killed virtually all livestock 

• 5years ago – there was constant 

drought 

• 10 years ago – the drought was not 

severe 

Drought • Currently it rained, the animals have 

pastures to feed and produce milk 

and meat 

• 1 year ago –there was a prolonged 

drought, the worst ever faced in 

history, all animals died. 

• 5years ago – there was constant 

drought, rain had failed and animals 

40 

Trends Coping mechanisms 

5-2-4-4 

- 

5-5-4-3 

1-5-5-3 

• Smoking out 

Mosquito 

• Cutting grasses 

near home stead

Explanation 

Crisis 

died 

• 10 years ago –we had mixture of 

rains and drought. The crisis was 

bearable. 

Infrastructure • Currently there is no reliable road 

network between Garissa and Dertu 

it was cut off by the heavy rains 

• 1 year ago – there was no rain – 

vehicles from Garissa were frequent 

• 5 years – there was no road at all. 

The current road was carved out 

three years ago. 

• 10 years ago – there was no road, it 

was just a bush. Dertu was 

completely isolated from Garissa 

town. 

41 

Trends Coping mechanisms 

5-2-3-5 

iv. Cash Mobility Mapping OVC Beneficiaries at Bulla Iftin Learning Communities 

Names of Respondents 

Cash Mobility Map of Infitin 

KORKORA 

• Firewood 

• Raw 

materials for 

building 

• Charcoal 

burning 

BANGALI 

Milk 

Key: Income 

Expenditures 

INFITIN 

Firewood 

Juice 

Vegetables 

Milk 

Hotel 

OVC’s OFFICE 

Cash payments 

GARISSA TOWN 

Sugar 

Clothing 

Potatoes 

Maize Flour 

Miraa 

Employment 

NAIROBI, MWINGI, 

GARISSA TOWN 

• Remittances

The respondents are mainly low-income earners, some of them fetch firewood, charcoal and raw 

materials for building from Korkora and sale this mainly To Garissa town and Iftin and in turn they 

buy sugar. There are some respondents who practice small scale business i.e. buying Milk from Bangali 

(bangali is located along Garissa – Mwingi road) and resell it in Iftin, the proceeds from the sale of milk 

they buy with food stuffs from Garissa Town, there are also some residents who involve themselves in 

hotel businesses i.e. selling tea and food; others sell miira which they buy from Garissa town in Iftin. 

However, there are respondents who get their main income from the OVC’s office in Garissa town. 

v. Cash Mobility Mapping tool with OVC Beneficiaries Balambala 

Cash Mobility Map of Balambala Division 

GARISSA 

TOWN 

Medical care 

Sugar 

Clothes 

Household 

goods e.g. 

utensils 

Government 

Assistance 

DCO office 

Cash 

payments 

Key: Income from business activities 

Expenditures 

MBALA 

MBALA 

Bananas 

Green grams 

Paw paws 

Beans 

Sugar 

Milk 

Firewood 

BURA TANSE 

Fire wood 

The respondents engage in some income generating activities such as firewood collection, sale of 

camel/cow/goat milk to Garissa town. They also farm and grow foodstuffs, which are sold in Garissa 

town and other neighboring towns. They rely on Garissa for medical care and household goods and 

government assistance in the form of relief food. Milk bought from Rahole is sold in Garissa and 

Balambala. 

vi. Life Cycle Analysis with OVC Beneficiaries in BALAMBALA DIVISION (A PRA tool and an FGD 

tool with the same group) 

PRA TOOL: Life Cycle Analysis (with same group) 

Event Score Explanation and reasons Current coping mechanism 

Secondary/tertiary 

education 

5 Primary education in Kenya is free. This 

leaves guardians/ parents to pay for the 

• Contributions of Kshs1,000 

per month from the OVC 

42 

RAHOLE 

Milk 

NAIROBI 

• Remittances

secondary education, which is very 

expensive for the respondents. They 

believe in educating the children through 

secondary education because they believe 

they will support the family later in life as 

they acquire good jobs. - “Education is light”. 

The average cost of fees per term is about 

Kshs5,000. Because of no income this has 

caused the greatest pressure in households 

with secondary school going children 

Funeral/Death 4 Burying the dead and giving them a good 

send off is a must within the region. It’s 

considered very important and involves 

huge amounts of money. However this 

collective responsibility among all the 

community members. During this period a 

lot of pressure for large amounts of money 

is exerted. Sometimes these funds involve 

transporting the body from hospital if the 

person died in hospital and paying the 

hospital bills. 

Marriage of child 3 In the Somali cultural setup, a dowry has to 

be paid to the family of the bride. This can 

be in form of cash, cattle and camels. 

Sickness 4 In this place there are many cases of 

madness due to stress and poverty. Other 

sicknesses are pneumonia, snakebites and 

malaria. “A sick person is unproductive” hence 

the community attaches a lot importance to 

attend to the sick no matter how costly it 

may be. This has generated a lot of 

financial pressure to meet the treatment of 

the sick. 

House building 2 There is a need to build a permanent 

house. Current floods have displaced many 

people and none can afford building a 

better permanent house. As a result many 

are staying in makeshift houses which are 

breeding places for snakes and mosquitoes. 

All are looking for finances to construct 

more permanent houses. 

43 

programme have helped some 

families to take their children 

to school. 

• Usually get support from well 

to do relatives, though some 

times it is not so regular. 

• Sale of animal e.g. camels, 

goats and cattle. 

• Cost of a camel ranges from 

Kshs15,000 to 20,000. Goats 

range from Kshs1, 000 to 

1,500. Cattle range from 

Kshs10,000 to 15,000. 

• Operate small-scale business 

like retail shops and sell of 

camel milk. 

• Members of the community 

contribute an average of 

Kshs100 to 500 depending on 

the financial strength of the 

community member. 

However total costs may 

range from Kshs10,000 to 

20,000. 

• Sale of some of the animals to 

meet dowry expenses 

• Accumulated savings in kind - 

like goats, camels and cattle 

• Borrowing from relatives and 

friends. 

• Sale of some animals to meet 

the challenge. 

• Sale of animals to meet the 

challenge 

• Shifting to organized refuge 

camps where building 

materials are given by relief 

agencies.

vii. Relative Preference Ranking with Potential Financial Service Users in Balambala (one FGD and 

one RPR with the same Group) 

Economic activities: casual laborer, butchery, hotelier, shopkeeper, firewood dealer, teacher, businesswomen 

RELATIVE PREFERENCE RANKING 

Attribute Merry 

go 

Access to 

savings 

Security of 

savings 

Return on 

savings 

round 

Saving in 

a box 

Saving in 

Kind 

(animals) 

Reasons and Explanations 

*** ***** ** • Saving in a box scored highest because the box is 

inside the house and the key is in the hands of the 

saver. Any time savings are needed, can be accessed 

especially to meet immediate basic needs. 

• Accessing savings through the merry go rounds is a bit 

slower as you have to wait for your turn and 

sometimes the treasurer is not willing to release money 

without knowledge of other members. 

• Animals scored least because they are always mobile in 

such of pastures. So getting it and selling to get cash 

for immediate use will take a time. Normally it will 

44 

take about 2 days or more. 

**** ***** *** • Savings in a box has the highest score on security 

because the saver is the custodian of the keys of the 

box and knows where it’s located. 

• The treasurers can defraud merry go round schemes. 

• Wild beasts like lion, hyenas that are predominant in 

this area, can eat the animals. Thus are not regarded as 

secure savings. 

**** * ***** • The box has no single interest earned. “How you put it is 

how you will find it”. 

• With animals there is a lot of interest because on 

selling they get double the amount they bought them. 

So in terms of returns on savings, saving in kind was 

regarded highest. Apart from selling it double profit, 

during the period of keeping them, animals reproduce 

thereby increasing the numbers. 

viii. Seasonality of Income and Expenditures, Savings and Credit with Potential Users of Financial 

Services in Balambala 

Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec 

Income 

** * * * * 

Expenditure ***** *** **** **** **** ** ***** 

Savings * ** *** 

Credit ***** **** ***** **** ***** ***** 

Income: 

The respondents have an inconsistent income, which is minimal and unpredictable 

Expenditure: 

Expenditure is highest in January because it is the school opening month and they have to pay school fees. May 

is also a new term and books, transport costs for school going children have to be met. 

February, this is when money borrowed is being rapid to the lender. 

April, August and December expenditures are high because the children are back at home and need food. 

Savings:

February savings are encouraged so as to pay off money borrowed in January. March savings are attributed to 

decline in expenses. April savings are for the purpose of paying school fees in May when schools reopen. 

Credit: 

The respondents borrow to pay school fees in January, May and September. 

April, this was due to sickness costs that were exceptional. 

October –this is the holy month of Ramadan and borrowing is for festivity. 

December – borrow for Idd festival to buy clothes and gifts for the children. 

ix. Seasonality Analysis of Migration with Potential Guardians in Dertu 

Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec 

Migration Levels (safarka) ***** ** ** 

Casual Employment 

Availability 

(shaqada) 

**** 

Markets for 

Goods/Services 

(suqa farsamada iyo 

waxsosarkaa) 

***** **** **** 

Migration Levels 

Migration is common in January, at the beginning of the year, thus respondents migrate to another this is 

occasioned by change of weather especially when it becomes extremely hot and dry. Migration is in search of 

better weather conditions. 

In the middle of the year i.e. June migration is “temporary” over short distances to get water for the animals and 

for household use. 

In August, there is no major migration, however we travel long distances to look for pastures and come back to 

the settlement area. 

Casual Employment 

“We look for casual labor after we have made sure that our animals have water, pasture...that’s when we get an opportunity to travel 

to look for supplementary income…if we do not get a job we come back and take few herds of cattle to Garissa and sell them to buy 

food and clothes for the children” 

Market for Goods/Services 

“In January we sell cattle and goats …this is the time the animals are fat and can fetch good price..” 

In March “we sell cattle and camel milk…because this time of the year is when most animals give birth and milk is plenty…” 

June – “We sell animals because of other needs such as food and clothes” 

45

FINAL REPORT - FSD Kenya

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