Children from one of the smallest and most remote tribes in Kenya don life jackets and board fishing boats before dawn to cross the lake to their school.
They could previously cover the distance on foot. A road that connected the El Molo to the outside world was a lifeline for the isolated community of fishers and artisans who lived off the land along the shores of Lake Turkana.
However, three years ago the lake began to rise dramatically, lapping at the dome-shaped homes of the El Molo covered with dried fish before pushing inland and driving the residents to higher ground.
According to a government report released this year, Turkana, the world’s largest desert lake that stretches 250 kilometers (155 miles) from tip to tip, increased by 10% from 2010 to 2020.
Around El Molo Bay, where the tribespeople reside on Turkana’s eastern beaches, nearly 800 more square kilometers (about 300 square miles) of land were buried as a result of this expansion.
Extreme rainfall over catchment areas, a climatic occurrence associated with global warming, increased soil runoff from farming and deforestation, and tectonic activity were all cited as contributory factors.
– Blessings and curses –
The Cushitic culture of the El Molo, whose distinctiveness was already gravely threatened, has been greatly influenced by the phenomenon.
Despite being competent fishermen, the El Molo’s population went hungry when Turkana climbed higher.
The catch decreased in the deeper water because the centuries-old hand-woven reed and doum palm fiber fishing nets and baskets were ineffective.
The El Molo were forced to drink from Turkana, the most salty lake in Africa, because they could no longer get freshwater.
– Disappearing culture –
According to David Lesas, deputy head teacher at El Molo Bay Primary School, parents’ inability to pay for the boat fee has caused a substantial decline in student attendance.
The local government and World Vision, an aid organization, are helping, but the area, which is going through a once-in-a-generation drought, has many needs and few resources.
Crocodiles have taken over section of the playground, and the perimeter fence and restroom building are submerged.
The real harm done to the El Molo, however, is irreparable.
