Endeko S. Endeko

Endeko S. Endeko from Mwangombelo in Manyara is a hunter and gatherer from the Hadzabe ethnic group. He and his family are dependent on hunting and gathering fruits, plants and tubers for their livelihoods. He uses fruits and roots for medicinal purposes and wild animals for food.

 

He has seen firsthand the impacts of environmental changes. In the 1980s, when he was a boy, he would go to the nearby hilltops and see many animals, such as elephants walking freely. But now, he has to walk several kilometres to see any animal. He has also seen forests beginning to disappear as well as temperature changes.  Because trees are disappearing, the number of animals has declined and there are less fruits and flowers and bees, which is impacting the production of honey. Deforestation has also affected traditional medicine. In addition, the levels and patterns of rains have also changed. There are fewer rains now, which is affecting trees and their fruit production. Hunter gatherers are being forced to move and follow where the animals and fruits can be found, but this has led to land conflicts. These changes impact the traditional way of life, and Endeko is particularly concerned about the cultural effects these changes may bring.

 

Endeko feels that the government is using the wrong interventions to counter the effects of climate change in the hunter gatherer community. For example, a local hospital with support from the government tried to bring in goats and cows to their communities to start livestock production.  Instead of herding, the hunter gatherers killed the livestock for food, because they don’t keep animals and are hunters by nature. Such interventions should be more thought out and less imposed. Endeko’s biggest concern is that if climate change is not addressed, and misguided interventions continue, this group will become completely wiped out. Enforcing a different way of life – farming or livestock keeping – is changing who they are and their culture. The government should look to provide protection in the form of title deeds to ensure that conflicts caused by land conflicts are reduced. The communities rights and livelihoods should be respected and supported, especially with a changing climate.