Transforming Pastoralism: A Case Study of the Rufa'a Al-Hoi Ethnic Group in the Blue Nile State of Sudan

Abstract

The pastoral sector in the Blue Nile State (Sudan) has been marginalized and impoverished as a result of detrimental state policies, deteriorating environmental conditions and an encroaching civil war. To survive these assaults, poor households among the Rufa'a Al-Hoi group had to settle and engage in activities remotely related to the pastoral sector. However, they found that their circumstances actually improved by gaining access to a number of social and other types of services previously unavailable. Contrary to conventional wisdom, these particular Rufa'a households found their quality of life improving under their new circumstances and did not attempt to return to pastoralism. Recently, such choices attracted other well-to-do pastoral households from the same ethnic group to settle, engage in agriculture and small business and keep some of their livestock on the move with herders, thus transforming their system of livelihood in order to both cope and reap the benefits from the changing situation.