News

Sahara Hersi Malaw is 28 years mother of five children, three boys and two girls. Her family lives in Ceel dheere villages of Burao district, Somaliland. She stays at a very small Somali hut situated in the western part of the villages in a dry and barren land, which is isolated from other residents.

When you meet 10-year-old Sumayo*, you cannot even begin to comprehend the kind of suffering she has gone through at her tender age.  Although she tries to put a smile on her face, she will never forget the summer of June 2018.  She recalls how the long-awaited holiday turned into a nightmare. It was during this time that Sumayo and her sister were circumcised—or to put it plainly; their private parts were mutilated.

In Somalia, persistent droughts are becoming a recurring phenomenon, and often lead to depleted income of the pastoralist households.  Like many other families, Ahmed moved from his home in Sanaag to a remote village, Awsane, in search of food, water and relief assistance. We met Ahmed at a local school in the village talking to children from similar families who migrated because of the harsh drought conditions on the importance of hygiene and only drinking clean water.

By Jamillah Mwanjisi

Head of Advocacy, Campaigns and Communications and Media

Since I joined Save the Children, Somalia/Somaliland Country office, I have heard so much about the prevalence of child marriage in the country.  However all I heard have been stories and statistics until when I met Muna*— a 16 year old girl from Hargeisa who personalized the problem for me. Muna* was married at 13 and got divorced in less than six months after her marriage.   

To most children in Puntland, speaking directly to a leader is nothing but a dream. The norm is for them to be brought into a room, entertain the leaders and listen to endless speeches from one leader to another. However for Mahad Nur and his friends  this dream became a reality when they met with the Vice President of Puntland to present their key concerns, discuss their future and their role in the society.