Success Stories
Mother of Eight Looks Forward to Harvest of Hope in Angola's Central Plateau
Photo: USAID/Angola
Solomay Epouca is a lucky woman. Sitting on a pile of bean husks, three-year old daughter on her lap with flies on her face and nothing in her stomach, she certainly didn't look lucky when a World Vision assessment team interviewed her in February 2003. Telling stories of fighting off wild rats, monkeys and other villagers for scarce corn, she didn't sound too lucky either.
But after 43 years of poverty, 27 years of civil war, and over two decades of raising eight children in the former rebel stronghold of Huambo, she is one of the fortunate few who have not lost an immediate family member and who has hope for a better future.
"Things are better now," she said. "If we can have two successful harvests, I will be able to sell some food and buy some clothes. All we need is a little extra food and seeds so we can become strong and self-sufficient."
Through support from USAID and World Vision, she has since received more than a "little food and seeds". In fact, the Development Relief Program has provided over 300 pounds of food (primarily corn, beans, and vegetable oil) and over 30 pounds of seeds (corn, beans, vegetables), and basic tools (hoes, machetes, watering buckets, etc.) to Solomay's family.
"She is already back at home," said the traditional leader a "Soba," of her village during a recent WV distribution. "Thanks to you people, everyone is rushing back to their villages to eat good meals and work the lands."
To date, over 58,000 families in Huambo have benefited from this development relief program that promotes the movement of people away from population centers where they are dependent on food aid towards their home villages, where integrated assistance rapidly reduces food insecurity and promotes self-reliance.
When asked what difference humanitarian assistance makes in her life and what her hopes are for the future Solomay said simply, "I don't have to think about what I will feed my children. Instead, I can think about my children going to school and learning things I don't know."
