Prior to 1997, Todonyang was a thriving village in the
north-eastern corner of Turkana, where the two communities of Merile (from
Ethiopia
) and Turkana (from
Kenya
) coexisted in peace. There was much
trade and intermarriage between the two communities.
At Todonyang itself there existed a primary school with 200 children, a
dispensary, a fisheries cooperative and store, a church, and a chief’s office.
An estimated 1,500 persons lived at Todonyang.
Misunderstanding between the two communities broke out in 1997, and this
eventually led to inter-tribal skirmishes and raids.
The whole
village
of
Todonyang
was dispersed – the Meriles crossed the border to
Ethiopia
while the Turkanas migrated to Lowarengak village, leading to overcrowding and
social pressures for the community at Lowarengak.
The church dedicated to Our Lady of Peace is without a roof and in a bad
state; it is overgrown with thorn bushes. This
church and the priest’s house need to be repaired and fenced.
There is a G.S.U.
post some 1 km from the deserted village, and some 30 families have gradually
returned to reside near the foothills of the Lapurr hills.
 |
| "The northern
end of the lake has been shrinking" |
The northern end
of Lake Turkana has been shrinking over the years due to silting from the
Omo
River
. At the moment, the lake tapers to
a shallow swamp just 1/2 km north of Todonyang.
Projects
in Todonyang
The
following is the plan for the Todonyang area:
