We have decided to start with a community group in Kakuma that inspired the project in a way. The Turkana people, who we admire, have resisted the British conquest, the fast paced influence of the modern world and have preserved their culture, traditions, ceremonies, dressing, housing, and their connection to the environment and nature in an almost pristine way.

The Turkana women usually wear colorful necklaces and shave their hair almost completely. Traditionally they wore wraps made of rectangular woven materials and animal skins covered with ostrich eggshell beads. However, nowadays they either wrap one long piece of cloth that covers them from top to bottom, or two pieces of cloth, one wrapped around the waist and the other covering the top. Clothing and colors are used to distinguish between age groups, development stages, and status of individuals or groups. The traditional leather dressing is still used for ceremonies and special occasions.

Songs and music are very important in all aspects of the Turkana culture. In this song, the Turkana women are celebrating that the rains have come, so it’s time to go and till the farm.