13-11-2019 | di COOPI

Maryan - COOPI helped me gaining my dignity back

"The first cash transfers helped me paying off my debts and giving a more diversified diet to my children. It was humiliating being seen as a burden, and the pressure to repay loans borrowed had been unbearable. The cash support I received greatly helped me gain back dignity within the community" says Maryan Hassan Isack, a 39-year-old widow who lives with her 8 children in the Bodan 1 IDP camp.

Maryan is one of the beneficiaries of the unconditional cash transfer (UCT) activity, one of the main actions of our project to strengthen and restore the livelihoods of the most vulnerable populations affected by drought and floods in the Baidoa area, Bay region, funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS).

The initiative began in August 2019 and has now proved how monthly cash transfers can improve food security for the beneficiary population.

The prolonged drought between 2018 and 2019 resulted in substantial livestock losses, including 10 sheep and 7 goats belonging to Maryan. Having lost her only livelihood, Maryan and her children went to the IDP camp of Bodan 1 in search of help.

"The first few months were difficult: without any money, I had to borrow some from other displaced people in the camp. Unfortunately I had altercations with some of my debtors over the loans I had not repaid. Providing for my family seemed as a huge burden at that time and I was pushed to a point of destitution”.

After COOPI intervention, Maryan received $60 for three months, which brought improvement to her livelihood, but also a psychological healing gained from the sense of normalcy.

Following flash floods that hit central and southern Somalia, from September 2019 since March 2020, COOPI will be transferring cash for 431 households. This crucial initiative will help families coping with food insecurity, maintaining their purchasing power and prevent them from relying on casual labour to survive.