From nutrition to birth registration
A mother’s journey to provide the best for her child
In the sunny Kelafo Woreda (District) of the Somali region, Hafiya Ayneh, a welcoming, warm and a loving mother, lives with her nine children (five daughters and four sons). Her youngest being just 7-months-old, she dedicates herself to caring for her home and children while occasionally helping her husband, who is a hardworking farmer. Like every family, this family, faces struggles financially. Their income wasn’t enough to support everyone, and the expenses for school uniforms and supplies added extra pressure. Despite these challenges, Hafiya remained hopeful and consistently supported her husband with the farming work. However, she found herself in a binding situation when her youngest daughter was diagnosed and admitted to the hospital with Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM).
“My youngest was so sick,” Hafiya recalls with a heavy heart. “She had to be admitted to the hospital because her condition was critical. I didn’t know what to do; I felt helpless.” The fear and uncertainty she faced was unbearable.
Hafiya was relieved to see her daughter’s condition had stabilized and knew she needed to focus on providing better nutrition for her child’s future. It was during this time that she learned about the child grant cash support programme, created to assist mothers with young children, especially those in challenging situations like hers. The programme was designed to offer families the support they needed to ensure their children received the proper nutrition and care.
“It made such a difference. I was able to buy nutritious food for my youngest, and her situation improved significantly,” Hafiya says with relief after receiving cash support. The money allowed her to feed her daughter nutritious meals and further stabilize her condition.
But the benefits didn’t stop there. “Before the cash support, I used to worry a lot about school uniforms and other essentials for my other children” Hafiya shares. “But with the cash support, I was able to buy clothes and other necessities for them.”
“Not only did I receive cash assistance, but I was also able to get a birth registration certificate for my child, which will help with social registry and schooling,” Hafiya added.
Hafiya’s story highlights the resilience and strength of mothers who, despite facing overwhelming challenges, never give up on their children. Thanks to the support she received, Hafiya can continue to meet her children’s needs, and be hopeful for a better future.
With the generous funding from the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF) and in collaboration with the regional Bureau of Labour and Social Affairs (BoLSA), UNICEF is making a positive impact on the lives of mothers like Hafiya in the Somali region, aiming to improve the nutritional status of pregnant women and children under one year old.
