The Successes of Shalom-SCCRR Conflict Transformation and School/Educational Development Interventions in Tuum, Parkati, Samburu County, Kenya
Eastern Africa

The Successes of Shalom-SCCRR Conflict Transformation and School/Educational Development Interventions in Tuum, Parkati, Samburu County, Kenya

By February 21, 2025 No Comments

By: John Kennedy Odhiambo MA, Moses Osiro MA, & Rev. Dr. Oliver Noonan

A peace agreement signed between the Turkana and Samburu ethnic communities, immediately impacting approximately 26,200 people directly, and 73,000 indirectly.
6 Needy schools supported with Infrastructure and learning materials benefitting thousands of pupils and students.

Tuum and Parkati are located in Nyiro Division, Samburu North which is a Sub County of Samburu County.  Administratively, Tuum and Parkati located 26km apart, are administrative locations that are principally governed by local chiefs and assistant chiefs.  Adjacent to them are four other significant locations which are Simale, Waso Rongai, Larerok and Lonjorin.  Tuum is primarily inhabited by the members of the Samburu ethnic community while Parkati is home to the Turkana community.  Notably, Parkati is the only location out of the 6 locations in Nyiro Division that is inhabited by members of the Turkana community.  Both the Turkana and Samburu are predominantly pastoralists who largely depend on livestock. Shalom-SCCRR’s Peace and Development work has been active in all the six locations from Nyiro Division.

Turkana and Samburu members of the Problem-Solving Committee (trained by Shalom) leading a discussion on their own towards finding agreement on fundamental issues relevant to the progression of the peace process.

Historically, these two communities have been engaged in persistent violent interethnic-conflicts using sophisticated small arms and light small arms which has often taken the form of cattle raids, inter-ethnic attacks and counter-attacks.  These conflicts have had devastating effects on the economic and social wellbeing of people from both communities.  As a direct result of the conflict, many innocent people have been killed, maimed or displaced often resulting in the loss of some key people that were integral to the process of development of the society.  Moreover, this conflict has robbed the two communities many of their energetic young men, who too often meet their end while fighting to either protect or gain advantage for their ethnic group.

Shalom-SCCRR’s Executive Director, Rev. Dr. Oliver Noonan, engaged influential opinion shapers from Parkati, Samburu County, on their vital role in implementing conflict transformation and peacebuilding interventions in their communities.

In the year 2012, Shalom-SCCRR was invited by the local government and religious groups to intervene and support the communities in Tuum & Parkati in finding long term and transformative solutions to the existing underlying causes and persistence inter-ethnic violence among the two neighbouring communities. On this basis, SCCRR adopted a paradigm of intervention which focused on conflict resolution training and practical involvement of the communities in problem solving workshops.  This approach intended to get the rival communities involved in joint community activities that in turn fosters relationships between them whilst opening up more opportunities for their economic and social development.  Shalom-SCCRR identified and engaged a cross-section of the most influential stakeholders from the two communities; the chiefs, elders, youth leaders, women leaders, as well as leaders of the major religious groups.

Shalom-SCCRR’s Godfrey Okoth MA, training the Tuum Shalom group during the Joint problem-solving workshop.

Shalom-SCCRR’s program focused on assisting the communities to improve their conflict analysis capacities as a basis for identifying and transforming the strategic, institutional, and environmental deficiencies that underlie the recurrence of their interethnic violence as distinct from just attending to the proximate and the trigger causes. Additionally, the transformative methodology focused on equipping the communities with the ability to transform their personal, relational, cultural, and structural dimensions that entrench interethnic mistrust and consequently escalate violent conflict. The analytical and transformation capacities were meant to enable the influential opinion shapers to initiate joint problem-solving initiatives, work together towards a reconciled co-existence, and jointly establish and protect development initiatives.

Shalom-SCCRR’s Kennedy Odhiambo MA, supported by Fr. Edwinson Mena, Tuum Parish priest, and Daniel Lemoosa, Tuum’s Lead Community Facilitator, engaging the youth warriors on the modalities of achieving personal, relational and cultural transformation.
Shalom-SCCRR’s Moses Osiro MA, guiding the traditional Youths (Locally known as the Morans) in preparation for a joint problem-solving workshop involving the Turkana and Samburu Youths

As a result of Shalom-SCCRR’s intervention to the conflict in Tuum and Parkati, a number of achievements have been realized.  This combination of training and participatory community-led peacebuilding to action-planning have led to the establishment of consistent groups of influential opinion shapers who have since come together to steer the process of peacebuilding and development jointly.  This is enabling the communities to cultivate positive relationships between the conflicting groups and therefore contribute towards building sustainable peace.

Within the communities, Shalom-SCCRR’s trained opinion shapers have used their spheres of influence in various social institutions such as churches, schools and Chief’s gatherings commonly known as Barazas to sensitize a wider community on the need to work proactively for peace.  This has led to observable qualitative change in attitudes, perceptions and behaviour towards the ethnic ‘other’.  Furthermore, Peace Committees, have been established one in each location to monitor the conflict trends in both areas and are commissioned to take appropriate and timely action to mitigate any looming threat that might jeopardize the gains made.

In 2016 a delegation from Ireland led by the Minister of Diaspora and Overseas Development, Mr. Joe McHugh, witnessed Shalom-SCCRR’s interethnic peace and development ongoing achievements first-hand.  The delegation was able to interact with SCCRR’s peace committees, some of the community members, the women groups, local government officials, warriors and school children.  Reacting to Shalom’s intervention in the conflict zone, Minister Joe McHugh said, “The work that Shalom is doing shows two things: a massive vision for the region and leadership”.  The Minister was impressed with Shalom’s strategy of bringing the two ethnic communities together and went ahead to praise the local community for agreeing to come together insisting that by coming together, they will be stronger despite their differences.

Visiting Irish Government Minister Joe McHugh, and Shalom-SCCRR’s International Chairman Rev. Dr. Patrick Devine leading the Irish delegation in a school visit to Simale Primary School supported by Shalom-SCCRR.
The visiting Irish Delegation with both communities in Tuum as they lay down a path for sustainable peace and development.

The People of Tuum and Parkati through implementing various action plans have shown the desire to address conflict through structured negotiations in order to reach to key peacebuilding stakeholders within Parkati, Tuum and beyond. The response of participants from both communities has shown an overwhelming endorsement of the work of Shalom-SCCRR over the last 12 years. Participants expressed their appreciation on behalf of the whole community for Example Agnes Lesilila (Shalom-SCCRR peace group moderator) emphasized thus, “Apart from empowering women in the leadership of peace, Shalom-SCCRR provided development support to our Schools, transformed warriors to peace ambassadors and restored collaboration and joint development between the Turkana and Samburu communities.”

Chief Abong Louchong from Parkati thanking Shalom-SCRR for the wonderful work of peace in Parkati and improving the inter-ethnic collaboration with Samburu community in Tuum.
Fr. Carlos from Tuum thanking Shalom-SCCRR for the joint problem-solving workshops conducted between the Turkana and Samburu Communities.

Since the project’s inception, Shalom SCCRR has conducted 67 conflict transformation and peacebuilding training workshops equipping 2,212 influential local peace actors (1,385 Male and 827 Female beneficiaries) with peacebuilding skills and conflict resolution techniques enabling them to be the architects of their own inter-dependent future of peaceful coexistence. Through these trainings, the influential opinion shapers have become a resource by initiating interethnic reconciliation activities. Additionally, they have taken the lead in applying their skills to resolve conflicts in their latent stages that threatened to degenerate into fierce destructive behavioural violence.

Shalom-SCCRR established conflict monitoring and intervention (CMI) mechanism which is made up of 9 well trained Community Resource Persons (CRPs) have provided a focal point for inter-ethnic coordination which has assisted in preventing many latent conflicts that if left un-attended would have undoubtedly turned fatal. Other than being constantly active in creating awareness among the community members on non-violent approaches to conflicts, the trained community members and the CRPs have become dependable in guiding structured negotiation, reconciliation and problem-solving initiatives whose positive outcomes have restored the communities hope in grassroots initiatives towards conflict reduction.

Turkana and Samburu women participating in a Joint problem-solving workshop led by trained Community Resource Persons (CRPs).
Shalom-SCCRR’s Esther Kibe MA, engaging Turkana women leaders on strengthening their participation in conflict transformation and peacebuilding processes.

After 12 years of Shalom-SCCRR’s conflict transformation, peacebuilding and school/educational development intervention initiatives, communities in Tuum and Parkati are grateful for the intervention methodology provided to them by Shalom. The communities also attest to the multiple outcomes and impacts they benefit from courtesy of Shalom’s peacebuilding, educational and development projects.  Mr. Albert Ekaale, a trained Shalom Community group animator alludes that, “The Samburu and the Turkana community previously could not work together, eat together or be in the same place to learn about peace but after the interventions by Shalom-SCCRR there is improved relationship between the two communities becoming ever more rooted.”

Accordingly, the Shalom-SCCRR approach has enabled the ethnic communities in Tuum and Parkati to tackle the root causes of their conflict independently. Mr. Daniel Lemoosa, a trained Shalom lead community facilitator, thanked Shalom-SCCRR as he observed: “the trainings by Shalom-SCCRR have equipped us with the skills and knowledge in Conflict transformation and peacebuilding and we now have the confidence needed to guide our communities towards lasting peace. We are now a network of well-trained peace ambassadors, and whatever we have learned is an investment in us, as we need to use it forever in sustaining the peacebuilding process.

Furthermore, over the past 12 years, Shalom-SCCRR has also integrated a pilot peace education program into schools in Tuum and Parkati.  Shalom Peace Education program has consistently engaged 6 schools in the conflict-affected areas. By acquiring Conflict Transformation and Peacebuilding skills, these pupils have become catalysts for Positive Peace and Sustainable Development in communities long affected by instability. “Through the Shalom-SCCRR Peace Clubs, the pupils have learned how to communicate better, work together, and build strong relationships. It has helped them create a peaceful and understanding environment in our school and with the neighbouring communities.” Mr. Samuel Iroo Edoket, Parkati Primary School

Shalom-SCCRR’s Kennedy Odhiambo MA, facilitating a peace education activity with students from Tuum Girls Secondary School. The trained peace club members will continue championing for change of attitudes and behavior within their schools and communities from violence to coexistence, tolerance and harmonious inter-communal development.
 
Shalom-SCCRR Kennedy Odour engaging peace club members from Tuum Primary School on the effects and impacts of conflicts within their schools and communities, and their role as peacebuilders.

Through institutional infrastructural development programs, Shalom-SCCRR provided infrastructural support to 6 needy schools that lacked basic infrastructure, teaching and learning materials among other educational needs.

A Shalom-SCCRR fully funded teachers’ block in Parkati Primary School. Providing these teacher quarters has positively impacted pupil performance, with high teacher retention.
A renovated classroom block in Simale Primary School in Tuum was funded by Shalom-SCCRR. The school has also been supported with solar lighting systems, school furniture (desks, tables, and chairs), teaching and learning materials for pupils, and water tanks.
Solar lighting systems provided by Shalom-SCRR have improved lighting for Parkati Primary School and the community. Shalom-SCCRR’s solar lighting installations in schools have significantly improved academic performance by extending study hours for students in remote, marginalized pastoralist communities where electricity is unavailable or unreliable.
Shalom-SCCRR completed Water Projects in Simale village and Larerok Primary School in Samburu County, northern Kenya. These projects have provided clean drinking water and promoted hygiene and sanitation in schools and the community.
The schools received furniture (desks, lockers, computer tables, teachers’ tables and chairs, etc.). Other items included Solar lighting systems and fencing to enhance a safe and conducive learning environment.
 

The Impact of the Shalom-SCCRR transformative peacebuilding initiative is benefiting tens of thousands of families in Tuum and Parkati.

Shalom-SCCRR’s Executive Director, Fr. Oliver Noonan, and Samburu Project Officer, Kennedy Akoko MA, with trained peace group members from Parkati, Samburu Country after the presentation of certificates. The peace group members are the resource persons tasked with leading conflict transformation and peacebuilding interventions between the two communities.
Samburu trained peace group members from Tuum during the project’s handover to the community. The group expressed readiness to lead the peace-building process in their areas.

Shalom Community Peace Initiative showcases the potential for conflict resolution and peacebuilding. Tuum and Parkati successes highlight the significance of consistent support and involvement of the community in peace initiatives. Shalom-SCCRR, its partners, and the local community’s commitment, resilience and dedication have been instrumental in achieving the means in which communities can understand conflict, find the means within to manage conflict and create the space for both communities to co-exist with each other. Thus, the Shalom-SCCRR’s innovative conflict transformation and peacebuilding approach has proved to be a successful roadmap to reconciliation, overcoming manifest and structural violence.

Our donors, partners and associates world-wide are at the core of these processes and achievements. Rev. Dr. Patrick Devine has been the Shalom-SCCRR key figure linking and empowering their direct and indirect access to enable the beneficiaries to live normal lives and experience sustainable peace.

Authors:

John Kennedy Odhiambo MA, Shalom-SCCRR Project Officer, Samburu Project

Moses Osiro MA, Shalom-SCCRR Project Officer, Nairobi Project

Rev. Dr. Oliver Noonan, Shalom-SCCRR Executive Director

Relevant Links

X