Saving Somalia: 11-year-old Boy Inspires Others to Help Victims of the Famine

Who could imagine a boy donating $13 million dollars to provide food for 3.6 million people? Probably no one, yet 11-year-old Andrew Andasi aims to do just that. The Ghanaian student has already collected $500 after he began receiving donations for Somalia’s famine victims last week, and yesterday, he opened a bank account for his cause.

 In an interview with BBC News, an optimistic Andasi told a reporter he wanted to reach his goal in one month through private donations collected during his summer vacation period. “I'm very very sure that I can raise it in just one month," he said. "I want individuals, companies, churches, other organizations to help me get 20m Ghana cedis."

Media outlets in Ghana have been buzzing with news of Andasi’s endeavor. He has had interviews on television and radio talk shows throughout Ghana’s capital city, Accra. When asked by BBC what motivated him to start his campaign, he replied “There has been serious hunger and death for [a] long time [in Somalia]. If it goes on their country will be useless.” Andasi also went on to say, "If I get the opportunity to go to Somalia I will talk and I will let the UN to make an announcement [that] the warring groups in Somalia should stop because of the sick children and women.”

This week, Andasi met with Ghana’s UN World Food Programme Bank director, Ismail Omer, in search of fundraising advice. Omer encouraged the tenacious school boy to continue raising money and inspiring others to do the same. "He is doing a lot of work and that is laudable," said Omer. “I hope he can be a good leader to his generation.”

The crisis that has led 11-year-old Andrew to collect donations began as a severe drought and food shortage in March of this year. In July, it was declared a famine. It is reported that an estimated 11 million people have now been affected by the famine in Somalia, and since July, nearly 29,000 children are dead. Aid organizations have been working to deliver food and water to the country as well as those taking refuge in neighboring Kenya, Djibouti, and Ethiopia. While the UN has spearheaded much of the movements on the ground, Secretary General Ki-Moon continues to urge members of the international community to support victims and take action.

 Face2Face Africa commends Andrew Andasi for his courageous efforts. His campaign to feed the people of Somalia is just one example of how this generation is working to restore stability to the continent’s people. Face2Face continues to support aid organization, Oxfam America, as they work to alleviate the hunger spreading throughout Africa’s horn-region, and we encourage all who work for the betterment of the continent to get involved.