“I get up at 7am and make my family black tea and porridge for breakfast. Then I get Nosim ready for school, which starts at 8am and then clean the house. After that I have to go to chop firewood about 6-kilometres away. When I am collecting firewood I sometimes get tired because the bundle is very heavy. I say to myself I’ll never go again, but a few days later there will be no wood left and I have to go.

“At the moment I’m nearly ready to give birth and all the women in the Boma (homestead) are coming to sit by my side. Traditionally, they help as the baby is born and support you until it is about three months old."

“A mother’s instinct tells me that I’m having another baby girl. I’m very worried because in this drought there is very little food and I am only drinking black tea, which will not be good for the child inside me. It’s a big problem and I know other pregnant women are having the same concerns. If you don’t have a good diet and you have another life inside your stomach it is very hard."

“I think the situation is going to get even worse. There are corpses of our animals lying all around from the effects of this long drought.”

What is Oxfam doing?

In response to the current drought, Oxfam has been distributing emergency maize supplies in Ngorongoro District. We have helped to restore a piped water system to ease the effect of the drought. And by supporting local government veterinary officers, we’re providing emergency veterinary services where the need is greatest. The situation in Malambo remains precarious.

Find out more about the Drought in Ngorongoro.

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