Location: Kalacha, Marsabit County
Date: May 2025
Organized by: Pastoralists System Empowerment Programme (PASEP)

In a recent field visit to Kalacha, PASEP facilitated a series of community engagements and stakeholder meetings aimed at advancing the conservation and sustainable use of the doum palm tree—a vital livelihood resource for pastoralist communities in Northern Kenya.

1. Youth Dialogue and Awareness Forum

PASEP convened a focused session with local youth leaders and community mobilizers to raise awareness on the importance of doum palm conservation and its untapped potential in creating green livelihoods. Participants discussed how overharvesting and land degradation threaten this indigenous tree and brainstormed community-driven strategies for replanting and value addition.

Caption: Kalacha youth engaged in an indoor dialogue on environmental conservation and the future of the doum palm.

2. Community Gathering Under the Trees

An open-air dialogue brought together elders, women, and youth to reflect on traditional uses of the doum palm and the shifting climate challenges affecting its sustainability. Community members expressed their strong interest in seedling propagation, water harvesting, and the formation of cooperatives to support the local economy through eco-friendly practices.

Caption: Community members in Kalacha gathered under the trees for an open forum on doum palm use and climate resilience.

3. Stakeholder Planning Meeting

The visit concluded with a multi-stakeholder planning session inside the Kalacha Resource Centre. Participants included local administration representatives, women’s group leaders, youth representatives, and PASEP facilitators. The discussions focused on mapping out next steps for a proposed two-year initiative supported through donor partnerships, including the installation of water storage systems, nursery development, and market linkages for doum palm products.

Caption: A stakeholder consultation session inside Kalacha Resource Centre to shape upcoming project activities.

Next Steps

PASEP is committed to scaling up this initiative through collaborative resource mobilization and capacity-building efforts. We thank the Kalacha community for their vibrant participation and continued support toward ecological restoration and resilience building.

#DoumPalmConservation | #CommunityResilience | #PASEPKenya