Pastoralism is a way of life that has been in place for millennia in some of the world’s harshest environments, including the vast arid of East Africa. To stop the spread of COVID-19, the Kenyan government, in 2020, closed the formal markets that pastoralists use to sell their livestock.

As in many parts of the world, the socio-economic effects of the pandemic were felt in the community’s wallets, as food prices increased. In Northern Kenya, increased conflict was yet another side-effect of the virus, threatening the pastoralists' wellbeing and security. The Davis & Shirtliff #ImprovingLives Initiative has, through the Garissa branch, donated several handwashing stations to the health department, which have been placed in public areas to combat the threat of the virus in the region. The handing over ceremony was held at the D&S Garissa Branch, and in attendance was the Garissa branch staff, led by manager, Wilson Mbuthia, Public Health Officer Phillip Njogu, Community Strategy Focal Officer Suleiman Mohamed, and Dr. Mohammed, from the MOH Garissa Sub-County