Multi-Purpose Cash Assistance Program: Supporting Women in Marsabit County to Mitigate Drought Impact

In the heart of Adadi village, located in the Obbu ward of Sololo sub-county, Marsabit County, resides Darmi Abdi Ali, a resilient individual confronting life’s challenges with determination. At 36 years old, Darmi assists her husband in running their household with seven children. Adadi, formerly a land of plenty with thriving livestock, faced a prolonged drought that left Darmi and her husband with only four goats and no cattle, wiping away the wealth they once possessed.

Amid this adversity, hope arrived in the form of a lifeline – a multi-purpose cash assistance program, funded by United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF). The programme is implemented the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in partnership with Strategies for Northern Development (SND), which is a local-based Non-Government Organization based in Marsabit County.

Darmi shared: "Immediately after I was registered for the cash assistance, I carefully budgeted and planned how to utilize the cash because it was our only source of income. I spent the lion's share on food expenses as the household members are many," she shared, emphasizing the urgency of their needs.

Darmi received 9,064 Kenyan shillings (approximately USD 68), a sum that catalyzed change in her family's life. "Before the cash, we could barely afford two meals a day, but now I can comfortably say my children are getting two meals a day," she beamed.

Darmi described life before the drought, a time of abundance when the family owned 115 cattle and 50 goats. The livestock served not only as a source of wealth but also as way to meet the family's basic needs. However, the drought mercilessly swept away all their livestock, as the grazing lands and water were depleted, plunging them into misery and a struggle for survival.

"I started practicing farming when it rained, but the maize was not doing so well because of the depressed rainfall at the maturity stage. I will use some of my next cycle cash assistance to buy and rear chicken. They are the only ones I can afford for now, and the chickens are more reliable than our goats," she shared.

Darmi's message to the donors of the cash assistance echoed her gratitude and a plea for continued support. "Today, we can afford two meals a day because of the generous donation.”

This testimonial from Darmi Abdi Ali exemplifies transformative impact of multi-purpose cash assistance for 17,580 people affected by the recent devastating drought and the ongoing flash floods in Kenya. The assistance turned despair into hope and lay the foundation for recovery and a more resilient future.

This initiative is funded by the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) and implemented by IOM in partnership with the Strategies for Northern Development (SND) and the ASAL Humanitarian Network (AHN).