A Displaced Mother and Her Children Find Stability
Senayt, a 27-year-old mother of two, lives in the Amhara region of Ethiopia. Her struggle began in 2021, when her husband was called back into the military. Since then, she has lost all contact with him—and isn’t sure if he’s even alive. Senayt relocated to a new city in order to live with her aunt and receive what little support her family could offer. “As a displaced person, I couldn’t find anything to feed my kids at home and was in a very difficult situation. Life was terrible to my family,” she said.
All that changed, however, when Senayt discovered she was eligible for aid through an IOCC program. She was skeptical at first because she’d heard that some organizations promised help, but didn’t deliver. IOCC, however, was able to offer her cash support through a health and livelihood program offered in partnership with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA).
Senayt used the money to start her own coffee shop, one that celebrates Ethiopian culture. Not only can she support her family, but the shop is so successful that she says, “I’m also thinking about expanding my business to include food… I’m thankful for the support from IOCC.” So far, the program has provided more than 1,290 households with cash support, trained 58 health professionals in cholera management, and helped more than 14,000 people receive access to primary healthcare.
