No School, Only Hunger
Marwa Farhan Mohamed, 15, sits quietly in the shade of what remains of her family’s home in rural Somalia.
Lughaya, Somalia
Marwa Farhan Mohamed, 15, sits quietly in the shade of what remains of her family’s home in rural Somalia. Her voice reflects the innocence of a child, but it is also heavy with despair.
“I’m 15. I’m the oldest of nine children, eight girls and one boy. We used to be farmers. We grew watermelons. That money paid for our food, for school, for everything. But the drought destroyed everything; our farm, our watermelons, our future.”
For Marwa and her siblings, the drought was not just a bad season; it took away their childhood. Once, they ate three meals a day. Now, there is often only one. Two of her younger siblings became severely malnourished. Intervention from World Vision brought some nutrition biscuits, but not enough for everyone.
Without any income from the farm, school became out of reach: there was no money for fees. Dropping out felt like losing a dream.
“I couldn’t stay home doing nothing,” Marwa says. “So I went to Hargeisa and started working as a house help to feed my family.”
Marwa Farhan Mohamed, 15, doing chores at her family’s home in rural Somalia.
She is not alone; many girls her age bear similar burdens, working long hours away from home due to hunger and desperation.
World Vision warns that the humanitarian crisis in Somalia has worsened significantly. So far this year, only 21% of the necessary funding for the response has been received. Nutrition support is critically underfunded: the group responsible for child feeding and malnutrition treatment has received just 9% of what is needed.
Marwa Farhan Mohamed, 15, is preparing a meal at her family’s home in rural Somalia.
Thousands more children are expected to become malnourished. Since February 2025, nearly 10,000 children aged 6–59 months have been admitted to health centres supported by World Vision for severe malnutrition, with over 1,300 in September alone.
As the sun beats down on the dusty earth outside her home, Marwa,15-year-old, who should be in school, bears the weight with her parents of feeding her family. She remembers the small joys that are now lost: pasta, rice, attending school, and playing with friends. “We miss them,” she says softly.
She worries about her siblings. “If this drought continues, two of them might die of starvation,” she whispers. “And the rest of us—we might never go back to school.”
Her story reflects a broader reality: in Somalia, children’s lives are in jeopardy. Without urgent and ongoing funding, support will run out, taking with it the few lifelines left for children like Marwa.
Marwa’s sibling poses for a photo.
--Ends--