New Health Hype in Kenya: Camelccino

A growing middle class in Kenya, conscious of the health benefits of milk, is boosting the demand of camelccinos. The Dutch national news broadcasters NPO Radio 1 spoke with Harm Duiker, SNV country director in Kenya, about the project.

An increasingly drier climate in Kenya (caused by climate change) is triggering many farmers to switch to camels.

"My husband and I would have almost one hundred cows. During droughts which occur more and more often, the animals would stop producing milk and dozens would die", Mariam Maalin (45 years old) tells us. Mariam and her husband decided to switch to camel herding, as the camels can last for two weeks without water and keep producing milk during the dry season.

The number of camels in Kenya has tripled in the last 10 years from 920,000 to 3 million.  SNV is supporting women farmers through training on milking techniques, milk handling and hygiene, as well as support in obtaining milking buckets and aluminium cans for the clean transport of the milk. Together with a bulking and cooling centre, this has significantly reduced milk spoilage and losses.

The entire interview with Mariam and Harm Duiker is available here in Dutch.