As the SOS vehicle leaves the centre of Gode behind we can see a difference. From the moment the vehicle approaches the village you can see that those within have a different experience of the drought than those living in town.
As the colourfully clad guard opens the gate, I see an area with trees and solid cement structures with corrugated iron roofs. The sound of children playing and laughing fills the compound. We hear the pounding of mortar and pestle and the smell of cooking for the midday meal great us.
The roads are gravel and there are no potholes, no pools of mud or standing water – as the water has been absorbed by the trees.
The trees are still young but they provide privacy for small children and eventually this will be a well shaded, providing cooling breezes in a hot and dry climate.
The compound includes two schools, primary and secondary school, as well as a health clinic, 12 houses, and a guest house. It seems big enough to contain the 125 children and their mothers.
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