Nomadic Stability

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T H E L A S T N O M A D I C S PA C E ( I I ) I followed the desire to meet those who are constantly on the move, from Central Asia to Northern Kenya, from traditional Daasanach pastoralists in Illeret to internally displaced persons in Kakuma refugee camp. The last tribe at the “edge of the world� tells the same human story of me and you— the desire to live a better and fuller life.

This photo essay documents the past month of my investigation into the paradox of time and space of people on the move: temporary vs permanent, nomadic vs stable.

TEMPORARY adj. lasting for a limited time.

A Daasanach pastoralist goes where it is greener, and a conflict-displaced refugee goes where it is safe. The constant migration forces a person on the move to be resilient to any circumstances. The temporariness has shaped their relationship with material things. Very few things they owns are easily transported.

NOMADIC adj. characteristic of nomads, who often roam about aimlessly and frequently.

Struggling to survive in a harsh environment has shaped the interpersonal relationships among the nomads. It challenges the individual’s freedom and takes great efforts for a person on the move to live a rooted life. Stone pavements and vegetable gardens are built next to temporary shelters by a refugee; a Daasanach nomadic education system is developed to make sure children are able to learn mathematic skills and become literate as their families move constantly.

PERMANENT adj. continuing or enduring without fundamental change; durable, able to exist for a long time without deterioration in quality or value.

S TA B L E adj. firmly established; steady in purpose Among constant changes, home is permanent and stable, where each of us can be who we are and stay rooted. The journey of people on the move eventually leads them towards a place or a specific person, and for some lucky ones, an awareness of the true self and skills to adapt.

PERMANENT TEMPORARINESS At the refugee camp in Kakuma, temporary solutions to the humanitarian crisis became a 27 year-old project. Can temporary shelters endure the test of time? Can humanitarian assistance exist for 27 years without deteriorating the value of a human being?

TEMPORARY PERMANENCE Traditional pastoralists are threatened by drought, as well as shocks from modern society. Some of Daasanach settled temporarily 19 km away from the nearby town, and the temporary settlement has lasted for 10 years.

N O M A D I C S TA B I L I T Y Daily activities to meet the basic needs, motherhood, family, pursuit of education and happiness, all of these remain steady as one roams about from a place to another.

Staying focused at the purpose of life, however, challenges each person on the move, as well as those who are settled— we constantly need to adapt to changes. The key to resilience is to destroy the illusion that blinds us from seeing the reality and knowing the true self.

#thelastnomadicspace Nalisha Men