SALETI SHUKANA

My name is Saleti Shukana from Dabel in Moyale. I am 50 years old, and I have seven children. My first-born daughter died, leaving behind two children, who are also in my care. All my life I depended on my husband, Shukana, who was the breadwinner until his demise five years ago.

It has been five years of suffering since his death. Hunger has stricken my family, leaving us with nothing to eat and no one to turn to. Every day my children have to scavenge for wild fruits and hunt wild animals in the dry land, trekking long distances barefoot. Their feet are rough and full of blisters. On some days they are attacked by wild animals. Three of them dropped out of school to take care of the younger ones. Our small thatched house was also burnt to ashes, leaving us with nowhere to call home. We had to cut some branches from the bushes and put up a makeshift house for all of us. Every day is a nightmare as we wake up not knowing whether we will get anything to put in our stomachs.

Today I am grateful to the Goat Project for restoring our life through their generous gift of two expecting goats. The happiness you have given my children is immeasurable. We are eagerly awaiting the birth of the kids so that we may be able to get milk for our own consumption and surplus to sell to buy books, uniforms, and non-food items. Our neighbors have already booked the sessions when they will be buying milk from us as we will be milking in the morning and evening. We will give the first kid to Mama Abdi, who lost her husband two years ago. Thank you very much for your support.