Africa Drought Survivor: Sofia Saves Her Little Sister

Abandoned by their mother, Sofia and Suada need support to survive the food crisis. Photo credit: Pers-Anders Pettersson/Save the Children

Sofia, a six-year-old girl, is brave beyond her years. She and her little sister, two-year-old Suada, are just two of the millions of children in urgent need due to the food crisis in East Africa.

Like so many families devastated by her homeland’s worst drought in 60 years, much of their livestock perished. But for Sofia, the situation is much more desperate.

“My mother left with our goats and she has been away for two months. My father is here, but he has no income,” says Sofia. “I take care of my sister.”

Without the goats, her father struggles to find work. They have nothing to eat or drink. Even if they had income, the price of food and water has skyrocketed. A few gallons water cost about half a day’s wages.

Courageously, Sofia is doing whatever she can to help her family. Every week, she carries Suada for miles across drought-parched plains to the Save the Children center. Her little sister suffers from malnutrition and must go to the center to receive treatment. In addition to a visit with the health worker, the girls receive emergency food rations, high-energy biscuits and vitamins.

Sofia’s father shared more about the drought’s devastating effects: “We are almost finished by the drought. We have not had rains for two years. There is no place for us to move. All places are dry like this. There is no place for us to move — all places are dry like this.”

For now, the family survives with help from Save the Children.

How You Can Help Children in the Horn of Africa

A dollar a day for 100 days is enough to feed a hungry children like Sofia and Suada every day until the worst of the drought is over.

Won’t you please take just a moment at help us save a child’s life?