Zulaykha Will Go To School

In 2006, a crippling drought wiped out 70 percent of the livestock. The animals that survived were too weak to produce meat or milk, a staple part of the local diet.

Malnutrition is most dangerous when it occurs within the first two years of life. It can damage general health and brain development, sometimes permanently.

Habibah, 20, and her two-year-old daughter Zulaykha, both suffered during the drought.

Although Zulaykha survived the drought, she fell ill a few months later. She suffered from diarrhoea and lost weight, becoming dangerously thin and weak.

Zulaykha became a different child, recalls Habibah. She cried a lot and had no energy to play. She was not the only one; there were many children in a similar condition.

Habibah fed her baby camel’s milk and water, and gave her medicine, but nothing seemed to help. Habibah could do little except watch in distress as her child got weaker by the day.

“I felt bad because Zulaykha was losing weight and there was nothing I could do to help her. Only God cares,” Habibah said.

Habibah heard about Islamic Relief’s mobile centre which was set up to tackle malnutrition. She took Zulaykha to the centre where staff weighed her and immediately put her on a high protein food supplement. She received the supplement for 3 months, and slowly regained weight and recovered.

Zulaykha is now a lively and mischievous toddler, full of energy and life.

“I was relieved when she got better,” said Habibah. “I regret not having an education, but Zulaykha will go to school. I will never let her be like me, like the nomads.”

Islamic Relief has expanded its project in Mandera and now has funding from ECHO to support more people affected by malnutrition. Around 3,200 malnourished children and 3,000 pregnant and nursing mothers have benefited from the malnutrition project to date.