It looks like a piece of wood and is almost hard enough to be wood; yet for 66-year-old Ellina, this is dinner.
She's holding a six-year-old dried cow hide. We can't even begin to imagine the sort of desperation that would drive them to eat an animal skin in order to survive, but this wizened old piece of skin was all Ellina and the 12 members of her family had to eat after their crops failed last summer.
"We kept it in case things got desperate." However for one of Ellina's sons, it was too late. He died from malnutrition leaving her with four children.
Ellina said, "I've never experienced anything as bad as this. It's very painful."
Ellina's family have now received food and our partners are offering seeds, fertiliser, tools and training to secure crops and food for those facing chronic hunger. While this year's harvest has improved, people are still experiencing hunger and even starvation.
She's holding a six-year-old dried cow hide. We can't even begin to imagine the sort of desperation that would drive them to eat an animal skin in order to survive, but this wizened old piece of skin was all Ellina and the 12 members of her family had to eat after their crops failed last summer.
"We kept it in case things got desperate." However for one of Ellina's sons, it was too late. He died from malnutrition leaving her with four children.
Ellina said, "I've never experienced anything as bad as this. It's very painful."
Ellina's family have now received food and our partners are offering seeds, fertiliser, tools and training to secure crops and food for those facing chronic hunger. While this year's harvest has improved, people are still experiencing hunger and even starvation.