Women from Agricultural and Herding Backgrounds in Lower Juba Pivot to Entrepreneurship Amidst Climate Challenges

In the bustling village of Goob-weyn, located in the heart of Somalia’s Lower Juba region, a remarkable tale of resilience and entrepreneurship unfolds. Maryan Khalif Digale, a fiercely determined single mother, has risen to become the cornerstone of her family, largely thanks to a budding vegetable business.

Picture this: a group of 90 women, their lives uprooted by merciless droughts and ruthless floods, were handed a lifeline. Last October, they received a $500 grant each from Alight and GIZ organizations, designed to help them kick-start small ventures. Some might ask, “Can $500 truly change a life?” For these women, it meant everything.

Maryan, embodying the adage “necessity is the mother of invention,” swiftly opened a humble vegetable shop. Its clientele has grown, much like her fresh produce, serving numerous families in need throughout Goob-weyn and neighboring areas.

“I used to feel adrift, but now I’ve got business savvy on my side,” Maryan chuckled in a moment of reflection. “I’m saving money, managing my home, settling debts, and no longer watching our dinner table struggle. If I sell out of vegetables, I can just send someone to get more.” she shared with a gleam of contentment.

United by their shared circumstances and newfound entrepreneurship, Maryan and 30 other women crafted a safety net of cooperation. Back in October, they each chipped in $40 monthly, amassing a $1,200 cushion to weather any potential storms their gritty ventures might encounter.

Gone are the days when Maryan’s family lived off the cuff of chance. “It seemed like divine intervention,” she remarked, reflecting on the winds of change that blew her way at the eleventh hour. “Being a single mother to orphaned kids without a husband wasn’t a cake walk, but look at us now.”

In November, Maryan invested in constructing a stall erected for $250 at her home. Now she sells her veggies shielded from the scorching sun, projecting her small-scale business forward. Come rain or shine, her earnings cover her children’s school fees and even make a respectable dent in her past obligations.

Her small but bustling outlet offers delightful choices: pumpkins, tomatoes, ginger, bananas, okra—like a smorgasbord of local bounty. Prompted by customer calls, Maryan orchestrates transactions with a flair that some would liken to a concert maestro bestows upon an audience. She is a symphony of purpose in motion.

Before disaster struck in May 2023, Maryan’s family had been thriving farmers on a lush 4-hectare plot near Goob-weyn. When the brutal floods erased their livelihood, it left them grasping at financial straws. Now? Revitalizing that farm remains her dream—every dollar saved earmarked for that agricultural renaissance.

Meanwhile, Amina Shide Dhimbil, another Phoenix rising from these ashes, has rallied to support her family of 12 by initiating a clothing and shoe venture funded by the same investment. She went the extra mile, snagging a 5-meter plot, then diligently paying off a $400 loan at $30 bucks a month.

“It ain’t just a rickety tent!” she proudly shoots straight when describing her new shop. Amina transformed the lot into a fixed establishment using quality materials—a milestone for her burgeoning business.

Her daily profits, capable of reaching as high as $25, are the lifeblood for her household expenses, school fees, and that monthly loan repayment. Amina harbors ambitions to expand her enterprise. She eyes the Istanbul neighborhood, a bustling enclave for displaced families, as her next frontier.

Ensuring her six children can attend school and Koranic classes is a monthly feat accomplished through earnings, a far cry from their former days surviving on her measly $1.6 cooking gigs. When the monsoons swept across the plains and options ran scant, sending her children to kin in rural sectors was her only silver lining. The business erased those shackles, liberating her family from uncertainty’s cold grip.

Rado Mohamed Ibrahim, head of the coalition of these formidable female entrepreneurs, elucidated on how the organizations carefully pinpointed women most poised to leverage the grants. “We frequently gather, track contributions, then delegate needed funds—sometimes triple what a member offered,” she explained with a sparkle of intent.

In the grander scheme, these mighty women stand as beacons for what’s possible. They’ve not only sidestepped the economic downturn wrought by harsh weather but proved once again that with financial backing and a steely resolve, lives can indeed be transformed.

Ultimately, while financial and environmental hardships ravage much of the community, these women’s stories teach a crucial lesson: possibility knows no bounds. Report By Axadle