PhD thesis Title Page Final _Richard Juma - Victoria University ...

Table 11: Gifts exchanged by Turkana households during the 2005-2006
drought and famine.
Gifts exchanged
1. Animals (Goats and sheep, cow, donkey, camel)
2. Food (slaughtered animal upon the friends visit, or other prepared
food, sorghum, and maize-meal)
3. Containers (for water, milk, oil) and tools e.g. shovel and spear
4. Tobacco and maize-meal
5. Jewellery
6. Money
Source: Fieldwork 2007.
By far the most common gifts exchanged between friends and relatives
were goats, donkeys, food, and tobacco (mentioned by 90 per cent of all the
respondents) 143 . 56 per cent of Morulem residents gave their bond friends
and relatives goats and donkeys. Lokichar residents gave their bond
friends and relatives gifts more typical of a ‘town’ i.e. what can be
purchased from the shops being food (62 per cent of respondents),
jewellery (56 per cent of respondents) and tobacco (100 pe cent of
respondents). However, 75 per cent of Lokichar respondents received, and
25 per cent gave goats and sheep and donkeys, which indicates that
animals still hold reasonably a high value among the Turkana during
times of crises. But all the 88 respondents pointed out that reciprocity
involving the exchange of livestock gifts was not very popular during severe
drought conditions. This is because it works best in building up the herds
after a drought rather than as a source of subsistence during drought. I
observed that the exchange of livestock had begun among kinsmen,
affines, and trusted bond friends on a noticeable scale following heavy
rains in January 2007, and that this was in anticipation for a return to
full-scale pastoral life.
143 This took place when the drought condition had just begun.
211