(ERGO) – Youth in the Somali capital Mogadishu have received a boost after being given relatively easy access to purchase motorbikes by a local company.
Fifty youth in the city who were previously jobless are now earning good money running errands with their motorbikes, which they secured through an interest-free loan from Rikaab company. Ten of the young men are former prisoners and others are returnees from unsuccessful migration Middle East and neighbouring countries in search of better lives.
Abdi Hassan Abdi travelled to Saudi Arabia to look for a job but was arrested there and deported back to Somalia.
He managed to put up the required guarantee – which may be a title deed or a vehicle logbook – and is earning $25-$35 a day from his motorbike to support his mother and his four siblings. He is saving $100-$150 after making monthly loan repayments of $125 to Rikaab.
Abdi was unemployed for two years after returning to Somalia. Now he says he is confident that with his motorbike as an income-generating asset he can successfully help his mother as she supported him when he was younger.
Abdikadir Hassan Ahmed travelled to South Sudan in 2021, returning to Somalia after eight months having failed to find work. He learnt from Facebook about Rikaab and acquired one of the motorbikes. He is very pleased with the result so far and is supporting his large family of 12.
“I give my mother five dollars and I save another five dollars a day, while the rest of my earnings are enough for my daily expenses,” he said.
Abdikadir has other plans in life. He would like to go back to university next year to continue where he left off his studies in 2021, when he went to South Sudan as his father was unable to pay his course fees.
Even a mathematics teacher, Mohamed Abdikadir Nur, has taken to the road on two wheels and is earning around $600 a month with his motorbike as compared to his humble salary of $80 at Al-bushra school.
Rikaab company’s Ali Hassan Mohamed told Radio Ergo that the initiative, launched in January, is aimed at creating job opportunities for youth. Each bike costs between $900 to $1,100 and those who purchase them through the scheme have to pay back a minimum of $50 monthly. The full amount must be repaid within 18 months.
Rikaab also runs a profit-making taxi hailing app, which assists the riders to earn their income. Customers can use the app to request pick-up or delivery of goods. The company assigns motorbike riders to deal directly with such customers so as to earn cash from deliveries.
