Maryama Hussein Said, a 50-year old landmine survivor, is among seven women who quarry stones for use as building material on a hill in Yerowe settlement, south of Burao.
Maryama lost her foot in a landmine explosion in Burao town in 1988.
She piles up the gravel ready for loading onto a lorry which takes it to Burao for sale. She gets around $20 for a full truck load, which it takes her three months to collect.
Speaking to Radio Ergo, she said: “I live in Yerowe near Burao. I fled from Burao in 1994 due to conflict. I have nothing except that I depend upon selling gravel to feed my six children. I was separated from my husband a long time ago. One of my children lost both hands and an eye in an explosion.”
It is back-breaking work as she has no equipment, and uses her bare hands for collecting the stones.
But it pay the $7 school fees for her disabled son and eight-year old daughter, though she cannot afford to educate the rest of her children.
The future for Maryama is looking precarious, as the land she quarries has reportedly been bought from the local authority by the owner of a construction company.
