A young mother in Somalia escapes war and natural disaster with her four children.
After enduring years of violent civil war, drought, famine and torrential flooding, Sahra, a 30-year-old woman from a small village in Somalia, found herself struggling to provide for her children’s most basic needs. “I often didn’t have enough money for food. When I saw my children crying from hunger, I didn’t know what to do. This is the worst pain a mother can face.”
The night that bombs destroyed her home, Sahra and her children fled the village they had called home. “It is not something I imagined having to one day think about, running away with my children and staying in a place that doesn’t belong to us. “They traveled on foot for two days and two nights until they finally arrived in the capital city, Mogadishu, more than 70 miles from their home.
When they arrived, they settled in a camp for displaced families, where hundreds of people were already living. Sadly, the camp lacked access to even the most basic services, even shelter. Sahra was desperate and had no one to turn to for help.
A new hope
Because of her dire situation, Sahra was selected as a recipient of IRT’s emergency assistance program that provides Sahra with $70 every month. With her cash, Sahra is able to buy food and water for her children and send them to school. She recently started a small business selling vegetables and firewood.
“I want to keep my business so that I can rely on myself and be an independent lady,” Sahra said. “We are o.k. now. My family is being fed daily and we are at peace. Thank you for this new better life”.
International Relief Teams is working with partner organization, Concern Worldwide, to provide emergency assistance to displaced families in Somalia. We are currently supporting displaced families with emergency funds so that they can purchase the food they desperately need, including water and other basic necessities needed for survival.
