Hunger. Sickness. They’re killers when you live in poverty.
And the danger deepens when you live in a country ripped apart by conflict, like Abdalle’s homeland Somalia – a conflict that killed her husband.
Abdalle is safe now – living in a refugee camp in Djibouti, where the ALWS family through our partner LWF supports the practical care needed most urgently.
It is still a daily struggle to feed her surviving children, yet Abdalle has now fostered two children who arrived at the camp alone, without parents.
Here, she tells her story, and shares what gives her strength to go on.
“It was a hard time during the war.
I walked from Somalia when Al Shabab came. They kill people, they take your property, they will kill you.
I was a housewife. My husband was a farmer. We had a big farm, but they take it. We grew maize, tomato, green pepper, mangoes, paw-paw and other vegetables. When we cut fruit, we sell it, and some we keep to eat. They were happy times.
Now, our family is lost in the war. So many are killed. We had to leave to save our lives. As we fled, we asked people in nomadic villages for help. They collected money so we could escape.
I remember we were running for ten days and nights. My heart was beating, and I felt numb about what was going on. As people were running, some were dying in the street, some were giving birth, some fainted.
When we reached the border, it was a relief. We were there for 16 days. I felt such happiness when we reached there, I became calm.
When I saw the camp, I feel I can start my living here. We received plastic sheets for shelter, mats and utensils. LWF gave us a water container and solar lamp. They also gave me a goat because I am a single mother. We sell the milk, and breed. Now we have three goats.
When I compare what I fled to and what I saw when I arrived, I see peace is very important.
I have seen many children who have no father or mother, and I have seen the condition they live in through the war and in hunger, and so I take them in.
These children I have taken in are from my clan. I have taken them not because of my culture, but because this is my decision. As my life is saved, so I want to save them.
My husband was lost during the war. The people in the village told me. People met bullets everywhere at that time. Under the tree, in the street.
I give my heart to God, and this is what keeps me strong.
I start work, cleaning at the school, to earn a daily living. We don’t have enough food, but what we receive, we eat together.
I am requesting people who support LWF to continue to grow their support because there is now not enough. My feeling to LWF is I am happy to them. I did not know I would receive this support so I am very grateful to them.”
Categories
- Advocacy
- ALWS 70th & Bonegilla
- Animals
- Australian Government
- Awareness Day
- Child Protection
- Children
- Christmas Action
- Climate change
- Community Education
- Construction
- COVID-19
- Disability
- Donors
- Drought
- Earthquake
- Education
- Emergency
- Family
- Farmer
- Farming / Agriculture
- Flood
- Food Security
- Fundraising
- Gifts of Grace
- Health / Healthcare
- Hope Spots 2024
- Houses
- Human Rights
- Livelihoods / Small Business / New Skills
- Natural Disaster
- Poverty
- Refugees
- Social Justice
- Sustainable Development
- Take Action
- The GRACE Project
- Toilets / Sanitation
- Tsunami
- Village Partnership Program
- Walk My Way
- War / Conflict
- WASH
- Water
- What's My Business
- Women / Girls
- Worship / Chapel / Devotion
- Your Love At Work
Recent News & Stories
- Ambassador Bootcamp - Brisbane 2024
- Ambassador Bootcamp - Melbourne 2024
- Hope Spot 26 - Your 23/24 ALWS Annual Report
- Walk My Way Ukraine
Archives
- July 2024
- June 2024
- May 2024
- April 2024
- March 2024
- February 2024
- January 2024
- November 2023
- October 2023
- September 2023
- August 2023
- July 2023
- June 2023
- May 2023
- April 2023
- March 2023
- December 2022
- September 2022
- June 2022
- May 2022
- March 2022
- January 2022
- August 2021
- July 2021
- June 2021
- May 2021
- April 2021
- March 2021
- February 2021
- November 2020
- October 2020
- September 2020
- May 2020
- April 2020
- March 2020
- February 2020
- January 2020
- November 2019
- October 2019
- May 2019
- April 2019
- March 2019
- February 2019
- January 2019
- November 2018
- October 2018
- August 2018
- July 2018
- April 2018
- March 2018
- February 2018
- January 2018
- January 2016