How Cash Assistance Transformed a Mother’s Crisis into a Sustainable Enterprise in Borno
When Fatima Goni Bukar arrived at our Stabilization Centre (SC) in Borno State, her focus was on just one thing: keeping her baby alive.
After six tense days of round-the-clock clinical care, specialized therapeutic feeding, and medical supervision by our dedicated health staff, the breakthrough came. Her baby stabilized, regained strength, and was officially discharged healthy and thriving.
In traditional emergency response, that is usually where the story ends a child saved, a case closed. But at FRAD Foundation, we know that a clinical discharge is only half the battle. When a mother returns home to the same economic hardships that fueled malnutrition in the first place, the threat of relapse is always lurking.
That is why our intervention doesn’t end at the hospital gate.
To protect vulnerable children post-discharge, FRAD Foundation integrates Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA) into our nutrition programming. Caregivers leaving the SC receive direct cash support designed to cover immediate household needs, dignity costs, and nutritious food ensuring the child’s recovery is sustained at home.
When Fatima received her cash assistance, she saw more than relief; she saw an opportunity.
Instead of using the money solely for immediate daily survival, Fatima strategically invested a portion of the funds into raw materials to start her own local cap-making business. Cap-weaving; a cherished, high-demand cultural craft in North-East Nigeria offered a steady path to sustainable earnings.
Today, Fatima isn’t just a caregiver who survived a crisis. She is an entrepreneur who generates her own income, purchases nutritious meals for her family, and shields her children from the threat of recurring malnutrition.
Through the support of the Nigeria Humanitarian Fund (NHF) and our dedicated partners, FRAD Foundation continues to combine lifesaving Nutrition, WASH, and CVA interventions across conflict-affected communities in Borno. Stories like Fatima’s prove that when you give a mother both health support and economic dignity, you don’t just save a child but build a resilient family.
Follow our journey as we empower more caregivers across North-East Nigeria. Share this story to spread awareness about the power of integrated Cash and Voucher Assistance!
