A section of women living in Wuoth Ogik have gone against the odds and ventured into sand harvesting along the crocodile-infested Migori River to make ends meet.
Although seen as a preserve of men, because of the intensive labour and energy required to engage in such an activity, the women say this is the only way they can put food on the table.
They are currently some 1,000 people, mostly youth and women, who depend on Migori river as their source of sustenance.
Sand harvesting is not for the faint-hearted because it involves going into the deep dangerous part of river, enduring the chilly waters in order to get the finest sand that will not be rejected by buyers.
When The Standard team visited the river banks at Wuoth Ogik, we were welcomed by the sight of women making countless trips with heavy, wet sand on their heads while others were shoulders deep in the water harvesting sand for sale.
The women tell us they sing songs to motivate them as they engage in their risky labour and to strengthen them as they work under the hot unrelenting sun.
They told us that their chosen work is very challenging since it exposes them to various infections such as bilharzia and other water borne diseases.
Jackline Atieno, a widow, is one of the harvesters who says she has been doing this back breaking work for the past six years.
“We have to get up early when it is still dark and scramble for the best sites with men. If we do not do this, there is no way we can make our ends meet,” Atieno said.
No option
She continues: “Just getting here is a challenge because we walk along narrow paths that expose us to dangerous reptiles like snakes. Yet, we have to work under these conditions due to the rising standards of living,” she said.
Her sentiments are echoed by 25-year-old Rosemary Obiero, a mother of three, who was orphaned at a tender age and was forced to drop out of school for lack of school fees.
“We have to eat, we have to feed our children and pay their school fees. We cannot secure better employment opportunities because we are not qualified and also because of extreme corruption in the county government,” she said.
The Standard established that for their trouble, these women make a maximum of Sh250 a day.
They use rudimentary methods to harvest the sand and end up making numerous trips as they work to fill up a lorry, which takes nine tonnes of sand, and is sold for Sh2,500.
Dangerous toil
An interview with county Health Officer Ishmael Abbas revealed just how dangerous this undertaking is.
“Carrying heavy sand on a cold morning is quite dangerous, especially for women,” Dr Abbas said.
He continued: “They walk long distances with that heavy load which makes them susceptible to chest complications and pneumonia. Others may have miscarriages or develop complications during child birth.”
