As a grandmother who wants nothing but the best for her grandchildren, Yasmiin’s heart aches as she navigates the harsh realities of life in a displacement camp amidst Somalia’s devastating drought and famine, a situation she never could have imagined for her beloved homeland.
Yasmiins story doesn’t start here though. Yasmiin lived comfortably in a home surrounded by her family with little worry about food.
However, as the drought persisted, it eroded their security bit by bit. Each passing season without rain forced Yasmiin and numerous other families to ration their preserved food from previous seasons until eventually all remaining food had been depleted.
This trouble extended beyond the people, as farmers also couldn’t feed their livestock making hunger normal for thousands and thousands of families.
With no food left, Yasmiin had no choice but to leave her home to find help for her family. While it is unknown how long Yasmiins family walked to find aid, many families walked for multiple days, even weeks to find help.
When families make the decisions to leave their homes, it is often as a last resort. When they begin their journey, they are already weakened by their thirst and hunger.
The most devastating reality of all is that not all members of their families make the entire trip. People have succumbed to their hunger and the harsh elements. Children, the elderly, and people with disabilities are at an even greater risk of becoming sick on their journey.
Yasmiin and her family safely arrived at an IDP (Internally Displaced Persons) camp and were given shelter. While they were provided with aid, access to enough food and clean water continued to be a struggled.
This soon changed as ADRA was able to provide Yasmiin with cash assistance of $80 every month to buy food and water.
“The support from ADRA has been life-changing for me. With the monthly cash transfer, I was able to buy food and access clean water.” Yasmiin shares.
Yasmiin can purchase food such as flour, oil and rice, providing her family with relief and hope. She can remain resilient and steadfast in her hope for a better future, especially for her grandchildren.
