Female soldiers of Kenyan Defence Forces, KDF, serving under the African Union Mission in Somalia, AMISOM, on Saturday donated foodstuffs and medical kits to the community in Kismayo.

In a ceremony held at the AMISOM Sector 6 base in Kismayo, the female soldiers donated the items to enable fellow women in Kismayo to meet their nutrition and health needs.

Senior Sergeant Josephine Kwamboka, an AMISOM nurse with the Kenya AMISOM contingent, said the donation aimed to contribute to Somali women's empowerment and capacity building.

"Women are the backbone of society. When we bring women together, it creates unity, harmony and peace. In Somalia, when you get to a woman, you reach society. So, we decided to give medical aid and donate foodstuffs to their families," said Kwamboka.

The commanding officer of the 2nd Mechanized Infantry Battalion under AMISOM, Lt. Col. Owuor Godfree, noted the donation was part of efforts to build cordial relations under the contingent's initiative of: 'women empowering women.'

"In the AMISOM mandate, women participation in peacekeeping is essential, and over time, we have encouraged and increased the numbers of women peacekeepers in AMISOM to touch the hearts of the women in the host communities. Women understand the special needs of fellow women as well as youth and children in the community," said Owuor.

A beneficiary, Dahabo Nur Mohamed, a mother of six, hailed the AMISOM troops for the support and requested them to reach out to more women in need.

"The female AMISOM soldiers have supported us with food and medicine, and we appreciate their support," Dahabo said.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Union Mission in Somalia.