‘I want to be a humanitarian worker’
Samar Ali has a dream for the future after personal tragedy in war-torn Somalia
Samar Ali cooks food in Helewyn refugee camp in Ethiopia, clad in a dress designed with the national flag of her home country Somalia.
She escaped the war in Somalia after suffering the tragedy of losing her twin boys in an attack by militants. Her husband preferred to remain but she had to find a way to save her own life. She headed to Ethiopia and arrived in Helewyn camp after days of walking.
Now though, after seeing first-hand the work of WFP and other aid workers in Helewyn camp, she is dreaming of a different career: “I want to be a humanitarian worker,” she says firmly. “I want to help the helpless if conditions permit.”
The camp is one of five in Dolo Ado district, in the Somali Region of Ethiopia. Here, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) provides food assistance to over 51,000 refugees who fled the conflict.
“I came here in 2016 after my kids were killed by a militant group. Prior to that I also lost my father in one of the tribal conflicts within my home country,” Samar said.
Samar regrets that she could not fulfil her dreams of being educated. The war forced her to stop her schooling after going only half way in her high school.
Rice is a key food for refugees living in the camp, and Samar describes one of the reasons why it is so welcomed. “Rice doesn’t require milling and you can prepare instant food, it is a wonderful food,” she says with a smile.
This support to people like Samar is possible thanks to the Government of the Republic of Korea, and a recent donation of 15,000 metric tons of rice. An official handover of the donation took place in August to show Korea’s commitment to helping refugees and drought-affected communities in Ethiopia.
The rice is being distributed among Somali refugees and internally displaced people in different parts of the country.
