File:Oxfam East Africa - “My dignity has been restored!” – Sadia Omar.jpg

When Sadia’s first husband died, she was left with four children and no livestock as they had all died from drought. That was when she decided to move to Nairobi for better prospects, and here she met her second husband.

“I thought things would change but unfortunately they didn’t. His family did not like us at all and they didn’t care whether we ate or not. There was nothing my husband could do because he was jobless.”

To earn some money she started doing laundry for a few neighbours, but when she became pregnant she had to stop. “Eating became a rare event in my house. I almost died while giving birth in the house to my last child because I was weak from malnutrition.”

Community members came to Sadia’s rescue when they gave her name to MSDP. “Now I am assured of some income. I do basic work like cleaning trenches, cleaning the environment and earn Kshs 300 (£2) a day. My diet has also changed. I now eat rice and chapatti, food I could not afford before. We are now eating healthy.”

The regular work has helped restore Sadia’s dignity. “Even people who used to look down on me like my mother-in-law can now come and visit me. In the coming months I am hoping to save some money and start a second hand clothes business.”