Empowering Vulnerable Families: Hajara Ali’s Journey from Malnutrition to Business Success through the ICHSSA-3 Project

Hajara Ali hailed from the Jaba Community; she is 32 years old with five children. She was enrolled in the ICCHSA 3 project under the HEI stream of enrolment.

During the enrolment, it was discovered that both caregivers were reactive, living in an unconducive shelter and also finding it difficult to provide for their household and this was because the mother was not into any form of business while the father is a Porter who earned little penny which is less than 300 naira per day this made the household to be most vulnerable.

The Community Case Management Worker named Balaraba Illiyasu, who supervises the Household, conducted a nutrition assessment for the family. One of the children, Halima Ali was less than 2 years was found to be severely malnourished. The child was immediately referred to the CMAM center for treatment.

The HES/Nutrition officer administered the household hunger assessment tool and also came up with a care plan. The household was given emergency food support for three months.

During the period of these interventions, the caregiver was able to save a total amount of 2000 naira through the help of her husband to start selling fried groundnuts, the caregiver said;

“The money am supposed to use to buy food started saving it since there is enough food already in the household to feed my children, I gathered two thousand naira and I used it to start groundnut business.”

Hajara Ali said she was able to save 300 Naira per day from the business, and through her savings, she accumulated a total amount of 3500 Naira to start other businesses, such as Awara, and start making Kushi for her community members since she already learned the skill.

Quoting Hajara Ali comment; she said:

“The food I was given for three consecutive months has really help my household to survive, my child is now fully recovered and she eats well, there is a enough food in the house, my business is now blooming and I can support my husband is catering for the household needs and my older children has been re-enrolled back to school”.

Hajara Ali and her husband appreciated the ICHSSA 3 project and GPHI for their support and interventions in the entire community, as she is now a member of Hadin Kai VSLA in the Jaba community.