Fatuma and her family fled armed conflict in Mogadishu several years ago. They have since been living in a displacement camp located in Beletweyne town, Hiraan Region in central Somalia. Life at the camp has been difficult for Fatuma as she is forced to fend for her family.

Fatuma reads the message about the money she has received from the ICRC. © ICRC/Pedram Yazdi

”Sometimes when I go out to work I come back home with nothing and sometimes I get little to feed with my kids. My wish is to open a tiny shop in the camp and sell basic items such as sugar, oil or tea. People here walk half an hour to town to find the nearest shop,” says Fatuma.

The ICRC’s conditional cash assistance program is a targeted towards vulnerable women like Fatuma’s. Families who wish to develop an income generating activity but lack the capital. The program is designed to build resilience by supporting business activities.

The money is delivered through a mobile money transfer service. This system is favoured by the ICRC as it is easy to setup, quick and ensures the money is delivered to the intended recipient.

Fatuma is one of 875 women who are beneficiaries of the cash assistance program in the Beletweyne camp. In July last year (2014), the ICRC conducted a similar conditional cash assistance program in a displacement camp in Kismayo targeting 300 vulnerable women-headed households.