Facing unimaginable challenges
In Ethiopia’s Somali region, where drought has caused widespread devastation, two mothers, Abuu and Asli, have shown extraordinary strength in the face of unimaginable challenges.
Thanks to support from Save the Children and the Australian Humanitarian Partnership (AHP), they’ve been able to make life-changing improvements for themselves and their children.
Abuu: surviving on one meal a day
Abuu, a 33-year-old mother of four, once relied on her herd of goats and sheep to provide for her family. But when the severe drought swept through the region, her livestock perished, leaving her struggling to feed her children.
“It was one of the most severe droughts that I have witnessed in my lifetime, sweeping away all our livestock,” Abuu recalls.
Devoted mother Abuu is now able to feed her children twice a day thanks to cash assistance.
Photo: Hassan Adow / Save the Children Ethiopia.
With only one meal a day to offer her children, the situation felt hopeless.
But hope arrived when Save the Children provided Abuu with a multipurpose cash grant of 7,700 birr (around $206 AUD). The relief was immediate: “I have received the first round of cash assistance that enabled me to increase our daily meal up to two times!” she says, overjoyed that she can now feed her children twice a day.
The grant has allowed Abuu to purchase food and essential items, giving her family a chance to regain their health during this incredibly difficult time.
Asli: the power of knowledge
Asli, a mother of four, also lives in the Somali region, where she runs a small shop to support her family. Despite her best efforts, her children were suffering from malnutrition, and she often worried about how to properly care for them.
When Asli took her children to a nearby health facility supported by Save the Children, she learned about the critical importance of exclusive breastfeeding in providing proper nutrition for young children.
Asli teaches other mothers about the nutritional benefits of breastfeeding.
Photo: Asha Mohamed / Save the Children Ethiopia.
“Thanks to the professionals at the centre, I now have a better understanding of the subject,” Asli shares. She even undertook an eight-week course on child nutrition and felt so empowered by the knowledge she gained that she decided to volunteer with Save the Children to help other mothers in her community take on the lessons she learnt.
“I will apply these lessons in my daily life and ensure that I and other mothers in my community are aware of the importance of exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of an infant’s life.”
Making a Lasting Impact
The support they received has given both Abuu and Asli the tools they need to create better futures for their families. Through financial assistance and education, they’ve been able to overcome incredible challenges and offer their children a brighter future.
This project is supported by the Australian Government through the Australian Humanitarian Partnership.
