Poverty on children’s play in Kenyan pastoralists communities

Turkana pastoralist families struggle with poverty even in the postcolonial Kenyan era. Poverty statistics in Kenya indicate that between one quarter and half of the population earns less than $1 US a day. In Turkana, it is estimated that 8 out of 10 pastoralists live below the poverty line (Ng’asike, 2019). Poverty is characterized by lack of access to basic quality services in health care, education, clean water, and sanitation. Despite the hardship of the Turkana environment, characterized by desert-dry conditions and extreme poverty, children of the pastoralists can be found playing in small groups on river courses, at tree shades, on the pathways, and on open fields. © 2022 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.