Build 152 Resilient Villages in Horn of Africa

As the world celebrated International Day of Disabled Persons 2018 on 3rd December we would like to celebrate a little known s-hero who despite all challenges she has coped with what many will term impossible. Her name is Safo and she lives in a small village in the outskirts of the town but what makes her the s-hero is the fact that she is taking care of her 9 children and 10 grandchildren single handedly. When people talk about disability what comes to mind is physical only and mental illness is not highly rated as it is not physically visible. Hidden from the masses and lost in their own little minds is the fate of the children the mother bore and one after the other they all had the same disorder affecting them. None of them is married and the girls keep on being defiled and giving birth to children with unknown fathers.

One in four people in the world will be affected by mental or neurological disorders at some point in their lives. Around 450 million people currently suffer from such conditions, placing mental disorders among the leading causes of ill-health and disability worldwide.Treatments are available, but nearly two-thirds of people with a known mental disorder never seek help from a health professional. In the case of Safo and her children seeking professional help is not even one of the options. Many call them the mad people and even go ahead to describe how the entire household is full of mad people. No one identified Safo's household as vulnerable and until one HODI staff visisted them. The stigma, discrimination and neglect prevent care and treatment from reaching people with mental disorders like Safo's family, says the World Health Organization (WHO).

In the case of Safo, 4 girls, 5 boys and now the 10 grandchildren there is total neglect and very little understanding of what ails them in the first place. Days turned to months, then years and now decades they have been feeding off leftovers from the trash bins. Many days are without anything to feed the family but Safo never gave up. Single handedly she scavenged for whatever was available until when one day she identified by a HODI staff leading to a visit for vulnerability assessment. It was heartbreaking what the team witnessed and all agreed that they are indeed vulnerable. Some good news coming Safo's way and she could not believe what she was hearing breaking down in tears. She confessed having not received any support for her family but was so scared almost talking in whispers for fear of anyone overhearing the conversation. In one room they all lived spreading down boxes the structure barely holding on due to the long exposure to rain and harsh weather. Not a single container to collect the rainwater instead the water literally collected in the house leaving them with no place to put their heads when night falls. But this was the least of their worries as the survival mode kicks then every month since September of 2017 the worry was no more.

As one of the 80 Households supported the family received cash transfer for 4 months combined to buy dry foodstuffs and just the basics needed in their household. With your donations were able to make this possible and also provide one water tank with gutters to collect rainwater. It was a scary moment as the 4 months come to an end and while we were figuring out how to convey the message we got one donor giving on monthly basis and there was a glimpse of hope for the family. It is the small little acts of kindness that make a difference. To Safo, her 9 children and 10 grandchildren there is need to keep the lights on, food on the table and achieve stability with resilience. We would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your support and generous donatons and we look forward to sharing how Safo's family and children will get professional help. 

Links:

• HODI website

Molu Guyo is a man in his early forties. He has a wife and three children. On the surface, it looks like a normal family situation. But 1 year ago, Molu was paralysed on one side of his body after suffering a stroke. He could no longer move with his legs, and could only stay seated or sleeping on one spot unless he was moved. As a man who used to provide for his family by going for casual labour jobs such as construction, this was very difficult for him. He had just moved his family to a new home up on a hill. But the situation changed with the stroke.

Since then, his wife became the sole bread winner. She gets work only once a week by washing clothes and earns 300 shillings every time, or a total of 1200 shillings per month (about $1.20). This is obviously not enough for the family's needs, especially considering Molu's medical needs as well. 

With this project, we were able to support Molu and his family with 3000 shillings per month to support their food costs. The children were able to go to school without being hungry, and their parents felt a little less burdened. A local donor also decided to support Molu and his family with one mattress since the children were sleeping on used boxes. In January, we delivered this mattress to the delight of the family. 

Despite all the hardships, this project has proved that people like Molu can also be found and help can reach them, with the support of the community around them.