The Rendille tribe occupies the harsh, climatically challenging terrain stretching from Marsabit County to Lake Turkana in Northern Kenya. Thought to have originally migrated from Ethiopia down the Great Lakes, they eventually settled near Mount Marsabit, compelled by frequent conflicts with neighbouring ethnic groups over grazing lands and water sources for their livestock.

In this artwork, a young Rendille woman is depicted holding a Miswak, a stick meticulously chewed into a toothbrush. Derived from the evergreen Miswak tree native to the desert, this natural toothbrush has served the Rendille tribe for over a millennium. Embedded with beneficial chemicals, these sticks aid in combating oral bacteria linked to tooth decay and gum disease. Despite the challenging environment, oral health remains generally robust among the Rendille nomads, who call the Kaisut desert of Northern Kenya their home.