(ERGO) – On regular earnings as a trained car mechanic, Mohamed Salad Dahir, a member of a minority group in Mataban, in Somalia’s Hiran region, has been able to get married and start a family.
“I used to earn a living repairing and shining broken shoes for people. I saved up the dollar I made a day to buy clothes and other necessities. Back then, I never thought of marrying,” said Mohamed, who married last December and now has one child.
Mohamed, 28, was among 20 young men from similar minority backgrounds given the opportunity of a free one-year apprenticeship training at local garage business, Osman Mechanics.
With Mataban at the crossroads of the main road connecting northern and southern regions of Somalia, there are no shortage of vehicles in the town and demand for good mechanics is constant.
Mohamed works from 6 am to 5 pm at the garage. It is physically demanding but he is happy to have a stable income of five to 20 dollars a day, depending on the jobs that come in.
“I was depending on my parents and I didn’t have the financial capacity to marry. I married when I became self-sufficient and saved up enough money,” he said.
Mohamed is now paying $30 a month school fees for his three siblings, as well as $40 monthly rent for the house where he and his wife live with his parents. His family, previously struggling, is now more comfortable.
Mohamed owes the upturn in his fortunes to Osman Makaaniga, who provided the one-year training for the youth at his garage, enabling them to break through the barriers keeping them out of regular employment. Osman, himself from a minority group, said he faced job discrimination 30 years ago before setting up his own business.
“There is unemployment in the town, and people are being discriminated against. Jobseekers are being denied jobs and that is what made me bring the youth together and teach them auto mechanics,” he said.
Osman provided the training free of charge and even paid the apprentices a stipend during their training period. He is now training 10 more youths this year.
“The vehicle repairs make some money. I can’t take all that money alone, I share it with my students so that they go back home with something,” he said.
Another of Osman’s trainees is Ahmed Ali Diriye, 39, a father of seven, who went on to open his own garage, where he has employed three youths for on-the-job training. It is a huge step up after working digging latrines for local people, earning two to five dollars whenever he dug a latrine
“A lot has changed in our lives. We are now leading a better life. I increased the money I give my wife for housekeeping. I give out charity to the needy and also save some money,” said Ahmed, who makes $10 to $20 a day at his garage.
Using his savings, he has bought 15 goats that he is keeping at home, hoping to sell them at a better price in future when he may need the money or face financial hardships.
Ahmed’s family used to struggle to cook one meal a day and is now enjoying three meals. He has also enrolled five of his children in Iftin primary school.
