October 16 2025
From Desperation to Recovery: How Outreach Care Gave Aisha a Fighting Chance
Sowda, 20, lives with her young family in the Dulmidiid internally displaced camp (IDP) in Baidoa, after drought wiped out their livestock and crops. Her husband, a rickshaw driver, earns just enough to cover their basic needs. Their shelter, a simple iron-sheet room, is made possible by charity support.
Daily life is challenging; Sowda undertakes difficult half-hour trips to collect water, paying 1,000 Somali shillings for each 20-litre jerrycan. Despite these hardships, she remains determined for her two-year-old daughter, Aisha, and her unborn second child, who is in her eighth month of pregnancy.
When Every Minute Counts
One night, Aisha became violently ill. Feverish, congested, and unable to sleep or stop crying, her condition grew more alarming by the hour.
“My daughter hadn’t slept all night,” Sowda recalls, cradling Aisha tightly. “She cried and cried. I knew I had to get help.”
Sowda turned to a place she trusted: the SOS outreach health and nutrition post in Dulmidiid, supported by UK Aid through CaafimaadPlus consortium as part of its broader efforts for displaced families and host communities in Baidoa and Burhakaba.
The team quickly assessed Aisha. The diagnosis: severe acute malnutrition, with a mid-upper arm circumference of just 11.3 cm clear danger sign.
“Our examination showed Aisha was in a high-risk state,” says Noordin, nutrition nurse. “We began immediate treatment with vitamins, deworming medication, and Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) sachets to stabilize her condition.”
![Asha’s weight check at our health and nutrition post in Dulmidiid IDP camp, Baidoa]()
This initial intervention was only the first step. A care plan was set in motion. After four days, Aisha would be referred to the Baidoa District Hospital’s Outpatient Therapeutic Program (OTP) for continued treatment, weekly check-ups, and ongoing support. This comprehensive approach helps ensure children like Aisha regain their strength under close supervision.
A new hope for Aisha and thousands more
Aisha’s story is not unique, but it is powerful. In Baidoa’s displaced communities, clean water, food, and healthcare are limited, SOS Children’s Villages outreach posts like the one in Dulmidiid provide more than just medical care—they offer hope.
Every day, dedicated outreach teams serve thousands of children under five who, like Aisha, face malnutrition, disease, and displacement. Their work ensures that no child is left behind, and no mother is forced to choose between waiting and watching.
“Thank you to the nurses, doctors, and everyone who supports us,” says Sowda, ready to return home with Aisha in her arms. “Your help brings us hope, every single day.”