(ERGO) – Maryan Ahmed Ali is delighted that her three children are now in school thanks to the tuk-tuk she was given by a generous well-wisher that is enabling her to make a living to support her family.
Maryan was severely injured in a car explosion at Mogadishu’s Sobe intersection in 2022, in which she lost both her hands. She had been working as a street cleaner for the municipal authorities.
“Many people died in the explosion and some survived although we had injuries. I had injuries in my stomach and it was sewn together. I lost my arms while I was cleaning, we were planning to dump the waste in a truck when the explosion happened. It was so destructive,” she said.
She decided to move to Garowe hoping to find a cheaper and more sustainable life in the IDP camps. But a year after the explosion her husband, who worked as a porter, died of what she thinks was a watery diarrhoea infection.
She struggled to make ends meet with her own physical and mental wounds. She said she is haunted by the memory of the more than 10 women colleagues cleaning the streets who died in the explosion.
Life turned around for her on 26 March when Garowe businessman, Jama Salad Dhagadhere, bought Maryan a tuk-tuk and a house after seeing her story on social media.
She employed a driver and now the tuk-tuk brings her about $10 profit a day, after paying the $7 for the fuel and driver’s rates.
Two of her children had dropped out of school in January after she defaulted on their fees for three months. She managed to pay off the debt and got them back to their classes, paying $10 a month for their tuition fees.
“I was stressed, and I used to pray to God to provide for my three children. We used to beg to get food, but I thank God since we have got a bajaj [tuk-tuk] working for us. Our stress has been lifted off!” she said.
Maryan’s benefactor also moved her out of Siligga camp in Garowe, where she had lived for six months, into her own two-room iron-sheet house. This has given her renewed hope and she plan to open a shop and improve her income.
Several times she recalls being evicted from the miserable shack in the camp when she failed to pay the $5 rent and being forced to sleep outside with the children, including the youngest aged three years.
Jama Salad Dhagadhere said he first met Maryan during a charitable activity during Ramadan and realised that she needed support.
“We were handing out food aid for people to break their fasts. I decided to give her some water and saw that she couldn’t pick it up. It was sad, and then we decided to help her,” he said. “She was very happy to get the tuk-tuk taxi. We thank God it’s helped her.”
He added: “Since she came to Garowe with her children, hoping to get a better living condition, it was imperative that we help her. She said she was working when she was hit by the explosion, meaning that she was affected while doing public service.”
Jama said he plans to follow Maryan’s progress and urges other people to reach out to help the vulnerable families in the IDP camps.
