Hello, hello! It’s our third day in Salaxley, an IDP camp just outside of Hargeisa, Somalia. Even though the residents of Salaxley have been through many hardships, we’ve seen so much abundance and generosity throughout our time here.
Today, we’re with Cusub Abdi, a 56-year-old farmer living in the camp. As she told us, “working on the farm reminds me of my father. I used to help him, and he taught me everything I know. Life was beautiful before the famine. All of the skills my father taught me meant that I was able to provide for my family.”
But after losing all of her livestock, she had no choice but to move around to the nearest pastoral areas to find a better life for her family. Cusub and her family were forced to move from place to place, but she finally feels like she can call Salaxley home.
“I had over 200 goats and sheep, but after the famine, I lost all of them,” she explained. But these new goats for Cusab Abdi signal a new hope. “Even though I lost everything,” she said, “I didn’t lose hope; my father always told me to be optimistic. Now I know what he meant, and I really feel like being the recipient of four goats feels like I’ve been given a whole farm again.”
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Meet Sam!
Sam developed an interest in forced displacement, food insecurity, and identity while working on her master’s degree. She’s now using this knowledge to support Changemakers 365 across our country programs. When she’s not off on a work trip, she’s busy fermenting beverages, training for half marathons, or listening to podcasts at her home in Minneapolis.
