"As livestock farmers, we have a renewed hope"
Today, March 8, is International Women's Day. We want to take this opportunity to highlight the vulnerability of many women around the world. Marsabit, a district in northern Kenya, has long struggled with climate change. Too little rain over several years has caused extreme drought, and many communities suffer from hunger. Women are particularly vulnerable.
Meet Rangison Harugura. She is a cattle farmer and lives in a village in Marsabit with her three children. When the drought worsened, her husband left her and took all their animals with him.
"He left me and the children. Two of my children are housebound, they need care because they have disabilities. The whole village used to talk about my situation, they said I was cursed."
Rangison Harugura, cattle farmer in Kenya
Rangison is one of the many women supported by Oxfam and partners. Together with local organizations PACIDA, SND and AHN*, we have distributed cash grants, soap, water purifiers and water tanks in Marsabit. Rangison tells us:
"When I got the money I was so happy. I bought a chicken, a goat, and clothes for my children because they had none. The goat I bought gave birth, and the chicken I bought provides eggs to feed my children. Now I have milk at home, I can slaughter a chicken for them to eat. As livestock farmers, we have a renewed hope."
Rangison Harugura, cattle farmer in Kenya
Over 19,000 people in Marsabit have been reached, and Oxfam's monthly donors are making a big difference to women affected by drought in Kenya. For that we say a big thank you. For an equal future.
*
- PACIDA: Pastoralist Community Initiative and Development Assistance
- SND: Strategies for Northern Development
- AHN: ASAL Humanitarian Network
