Voices from Dadaab

Mr Hariet Hambe is 60 years old. He loaned part of the cash he received from AFSC to his friend who needed to travel back to Somalia. He wants to start a goat business and he is waiting for the security situation to improve in the camp. He used to be a livestock trader in Somalia and he has seen that the same business opportunity is possible in Dadaab. His five sons were killed in Somalia but he is taking care of 4 other children for his late brother.

Fatuma Ibrahim is 65 years old. She arrived in Dadaab in September 2011. Fatuma left her home in Kismayo when she lost everything she had due to drought and famine. She is a mother of 8 and she has no source of income to cover her family needs including those of her ailing husband. The only asset that Fatuma own is the ratio card, which enables her to receive food ration. Sometimes food distribution dates changes or delays, making life very difficult for Fatuma and her dependants. When she arrived in Dadaab refugee camp, she knew nobody and no one wanted to accommodate her because of her husband’s violence. He has severe mental health issues. With no facilities for those who pose a danger to themselves and others, her husband’s hands are always tied to prevent violence to their children. Fatuma is grateful that she was targeted to receive cash relief. “I have always been seeing other women going to the market and returning home with nice things for their children; I had never been to the market since I had no money to spend. I had never even held Kenyan money. When I received the cash from AFSC, I sat with my children and planned what we needed to buy. I bought shoes for my two daughters and a school uniform for my son. I also bought meat, milk and I paid the debt of Ksh 200 to the shop owner where I had borrowed cooking fat sometime ago. I will start a small business when I received the rest of the money from AFSC.”

Isaac Aden came to Kenya in August 2011. He is 49 years old and a father of six. Isaac and his son Abdullahi benefited from the wheelchairs that AFSC distributed to the persons living with disabilities in Dadaab refugee camps. Though Isaac now moves easily within the camps, he still feels that his life in the camp is not fulfilling. He had a shop in Kismayo and he hopes to obtain the capital to start a small business in Dadaab. “I am happy I can move easily, but I need a stable source of livelihood in order to support my family”

Khadija Muhumed is 75 years old. She arrived in Dadaab camp with her 5 children 10 months ago. Her husband was killed in Somalia in 2011 when he refused the recruitment of his son into a militia group. A few days later, the same people who killed her husband stole all her livestock. Khadija is a participant in the cash relief project that AFSC is implementing in Dadaab refugee camp. She recently received Ksh 8500 from the project. Khadija said she used her money to buy milk, meat, sugar, firewood and the dress and hijab she is wearing. During the recent camp visit by AFSC’s Project Manager, Khadija testified; “I have never held any money of my own since I came to Dadaab, my face has always remained dry due to lack of oil and my children has not eaten meat ever since we came to Dadaab. May Allah bless the people who have remembered us”