Barliin Borrow Regaw is a disabled mother aged 50, separated and lives with her 3 children and mum in Kacaan community in Dinsoor district of Bay Region. Kacaan is among communities supported under FCDO funded project through cash safety net pilot. Multiple shocks such as Covid 19 restriction, market disruptions and desert locust infestations affected these communities. While stressed by the shocks that caused shortage of food and lack of casual labour work in the local market, BRCiS program activated crises modifier to save lives and livelihoods.
With support from FCDO, GREDO started a safety net cash top up. This response is intended to have comprehensive impacts on resilience and specifically support most vulnerable and marginalized households affected by the shock.
“My family depended on farming as main livelihood but when the recurrent shocks such as below average rainfalls, locusts and devastating disruption of Dinsoor market due to the armed conflict, life became difficult. Our greatest concern was access to food, health and clothing.” Barliin said. “As I am disabled and not able to support my family, my elderly mum started collecting firewood to support the family, but her effort could not add more value as there was no-good market for selling the firewood,” she added.
In early July 2020, through FCDO project, GREDO started safety net of 20 USD per month for 382 household and provided another 20usd top up on Oct, for three months (from October to December 2020) making 40 USD per month to help in quick recovery of households affected by covid_19 and market embargo.
“I received 20 USD for three months each and 40 USD for another three months from the safety net top up response. The cash I received empowered me to provide for my households needs such as food, health and pay off my debt. Most of the cash received goes to food as prices of food in the local market are high due to siege. Example rice and sugar costs 40,000 shillings per kg, with the help of this cash transfer we managed to pay food which helped us to improve malnutrition status of the family members specially children and aged family members ,” Barliin said.
Finally I thank the generous assistance provided by FCDO and GREDO during these crises period. It has benefited many vulnerable members in the community. As a family, next crises may not affect us the same because we are prepared to make alternative livelihoods in the near future as I have started saving some little amount each month for the future”, Barliin says.