Halima Ahmed Ebrahim, a single mother of three, lives in Berhale town in Ethiopia’s Afar Region. Once a dedicated health extension worker, she was able to provide for her family until the outbreak of the Northern conflict in November 2020 forced her and her children to flee to Semera City.
When the Pretoria peace agreement was signed in November 2022, ending the two-year conflict, Halima returned home with determination to rebuild her life. What she did not know was that her compound was used as a camp during the war, leaving behind unexploded ordnance.
One morning, while cleaning her compound, Halima unknowingly triggered an explosive device. The blast caused severe injuries and left the right side of her body paralyzed. Once a caregiver and provider, she suddenly found herself dependent on others for her most basic needs. Halima’s story mirrors the struggles of many families in post-conflict areas who remain at risk from explosive remnants of war.
DanChurchAid-Ethiopia, accredited by the Ministry of Defense’s Ethiopian Mine Action Office (EMAO) and adhering to national mine action standards has been implementing Explosive Ordnance Risk Education (EORE) and Victim Assistance activities in Afar Region with financial support from DANIDA. These efforts aim not only to equip communities with life-saving knowledge but also to provide holistic support for survivors like Halima.
Restoring Hope
Through DCA-trained Community Focal Points, Halima was identified and referred to DCA social workers. They quickly connected her to Berhale Primary Hospital, ensuring she could resume the follow-up medical care she had been forced to abandon due to financial hardship. “DCA helped me cover my transportation, accommodation, and medical expenses,” Halima recalls.
Halima was further referred to the Mekelle Prosthesis & Orthosis Centre, where she received comprehensive rehabilitation, including physiotherapy and mobility aid support. Through its MoU with the Centre, DCA covered all associated costs, enabling her to access comprehensive physiotherapy services, accompanied with wheelchair and crutches, that restored her ability to move and access essential facilities.
Holistic transformation and resilience
Recognizing that recovery is not only physical but also economic and social, DCA carried out a needs assessment with Halima and her family. Accordingly, DCA provided financial support with which Halima purchased ten goats. The goats provide Halima’s household with a steady supply of milk, an essential source of nutrition for her children. She has also started selling surplus milk in the local market, creating a small but reliable income stream. In Afar’s pastoralist culture, livestock also serve as a form of savings and security. As the goats reproduce and the herd gradually grows, Halima hopes to expand her livestock, and transition to livestock selling business, creating a sustainable livelihood that will strengthen her family’s resilience.
“I feel that I am not defined by my injuries, the support has enabled me to move around and participate in daily life again”Halima
