Fadumo, a 37-year-old mother of seven, fled with her seven children from Mogadishu to Galkayo due to insecurity in 2007.  She owned a small shop that provided income for her, and her family and she was also able to pay her children's school fees. Fadumo did not expect to lose her business and end up in an Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp.

Every morning, she goes to the local market to find domestic work to help feed her children. However, as the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded, she began to struggle to find daily work. Fadumo and her husband were forced to stay at home as job opportunities decreased and became more sporadic. However, thanks to the humanitarian cash transfers she has been receiving from Save the Children, through the Somali Cash Consortium funded by the European Union, Fadumo can now support her family.

How did the programme help the family?

Fadumo's family was selected to benefit from the European Union-funded unconditional cash transfer programme, receiving $US 70 for six consecutive months.  The cash assistance has helped Fadumo and her family, as she can now pay off some of her debts and feed her children.

“In 2007, there were conflicts in Mogadishu and we had to leave. I lost my business and became displaced. I faced many challenges and was not able to provide for my children. After that, I decided to come to Galkayo and resettle in one of these IDP camps. I became dependent on whatever support that we received from our neighbours, while also taking on daily domestic work, such as cleaning and washing clothes, to earn money. 

''However, the situation significantly deteriorated during the COVID-19 pandemic. My husband and I were forced to stay home with no work and thus no income because job opportunities reduced, and the crisis impacted the market.  We were then not able to provide for our children, I was not also able to pay their school fees and we could not afford to buy food.

The cash project funded by the European Union is being delivered in our village and we were lucky to be selected as one of those families who are befitting from the programme. Now, I can provide my children two to three meals a day. I paid off some of the debts I had with the nearby shops, and I am able to pay my children's school fees again”. 

Background Information

The European Union-funded cash project implemented by the Somali Cash Consortium through six International Non-Governmental Organisations, including ACTED, Concern Worldwide, Cooperazione Internazionale (COOPI), Danish Refugee Council (DRC), Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) and Save the Children (SCI) targets a total of 10,992 households with monthly unconditional cash transfers in 10 disaster/conflict-affected districts across Somalia.

As part of the programme, Save the Children is targeting 752 extremely vulnerable households in Galkacyo district, Mudug region with unconditional cash transfers for six months. The project aims to improve the ability of vulnerable households to meet their basic needs and reduce consumption gaps through life-saving multipurpose cash assistance for Somali households affected by the crisis.