The Reluctant Land Tillers

The Tiania, unlike other sub-tribes of the Meru who all well known land tillers, are die-hard cattle keepers at heart and only passive crop growers. Perhaps, this explains why they have not bothered to convert fully as small scale crop growers despite dwindling grazing land and frequent devastating droughts that have decimated their cattle herds over the years. Long time ago, and to some extent in the present day, anybody who didn't have cattle in Tiania was regarded as poor because they could not afford to fulfil their obligations such as paying dowry and school fees for their children. Large and healthy families were only associated with those with large herds of cattle. High population pressure, frequent droughts coupled with cattle rustling have forced the Tiania to the drawing board because the dwindling herds of cattle have forced them to look into the unfamiliar area of land tilling to sustain themselves. Now, because of lack of surface water like rivers, frequent droughts and contracting land size, many families have to go without food for long periods which has greatly disrupted family life with attendant malnutrition and very high school drop-out rates. The best option available is to convert to intensive crop production to grow food for the family and the market.