In Kilkiley Village, Wajir County, Farah Abdi remembers a time when he could work and comfortably provide for his family. That life changed when he became disabled.
Today, his only means of coping is a small donkey cart he uses to fetch water for his household, a slow, exhausting task he carries out with quiet determination.
As the drought tightened its grip on northern Kenya, Farah watched his fragile livelihood disappear.
“I began selling my animals one by one,” he recalls. “I had 15 goats. Now I have less than 10. The prices were very low because there was no pasture and no water. But I had no choice, I had to feed my family.”
The prolonged drought pushed his household to the brink. Food became scarce, water prices soared, and local shops stopped offering goods on credit.
With seven people in his immediate household, alongside elderly parents and siblings depending on him, Farah struggled to meet even the most basic needs.
His situation mirrors that of thousands of vulnerable families across Wajir and other ASAL counties, where the drought has severely eroded traditional coping mechanisms.
Many households have sold off productive assets such as livestock and are now unable to recover without sustained support.
Relief came through a drought response initiative implemented by the World Food Programme (WFP) in partnership with the County Government of Wajir.
The programme targets the most vulnerable households, including persons with disabilities and families with no stable source of income.
A turning point came when word reached Kilkiley Village that beneficiaries were being identified for cash assistance.
“When we heard about the support, we were filled with joy,” Farah says, adding, “I was selected because of my disability and because I had no income left. We were sensitised and told what the cash support was for. It came exactly at the right time, at the peak of the drought.”
Farah received a minimum food basket value of 7,000 per cycle as part of a three-month cash transfer programme supported by WFP and coordinated by the county government. With the money, he bought essential food items—maize, wheat, rice flour, pasta, cooking oil and milk.
The cash brought food back to our table,” he says. “But because we are many, it only lasts about 14 days. After that, we must borrow from neighbours because shops no longer accept credit.”
County officials note that while cash assistance is lifesaving, it is designed to stabilise households at the height of the crisis—preventing hunger, protecting dignity and reducing harmful coping strategies such as distress livestock sales.
For Farah, the difference between receiving support and going without it is profound.
“Without this support, we were close to dying of hunger,” he says quietly. “We remain extremely grateful. You saved us at a moment when we had nothing left.”
Today, Farah continues to care for his family with the little strength he has.
The drought remains unforgiving, but the partnership between the County Government of Wajir and WFP has given his household a fighting chance to survive, to stabilise and to face tomorrow with dignity rather than despair.