Masresha Taye has been working with pastoralists and those involved in providing insurance in the Borana area, in southern Ethiopia. In this short video, he discusses insights from his doctoral research with PASTRES.
Insurance products are supposed to help pastoralists respond to risks. In particular, they are envisaged for poorer and more vulnerable pastoralists who might lose income from extreme weather events like droughts.
Masresha’s research reveals that it is often wealthier households, in fact, who take advantage of insurance products.
Insurance is not the only option available to pastoralists to deal with risks. Pastoralists who use insurance often integrate it into a wider set of responses to uncertainties.
Alongside conventional research methods, participatory photography was also used. This provided insights into the perspectives of pastoralists themselves. Photo stories created by pastoralists reveal how they perceive, understand and experience the uncertainties they face in everyday life.
Find out more
The online exhibition Seeing Pastoralism includes a section on the study in Borana, including photographs from the field, video recordings, and photovoice stories created by pastoralists themselves.
Everything has changed, even the way we die (seeingpastoralism.org)
Previous blog posts on Ethiopia
Business not as usual: Five problems for pastoralists caused by Ethiopia’s new currency rules
Pastoralism, Uncertainty and Resilience - PASTRES 