(ERGO) – Every morning, hundreds of men and women set off from their homes in El-jalle near Merka in southern Somalia carrying metal rods, hammers, and sacks – manual tools they need to literally dig for a living for their families, who have been displaced from their homes by conflict and drought in Lower Shabelle region.
Among the smaller number of these daily women workers is Amina Dahir Yarow, 45, who walks two kilometres to the beach from her home in Nafta-qur camp in El-jalle.
Amina moved to the camps after fleeing conflict in Sagarole, about 35 km away, where they had a four-hectare farm that they abandoned due to insecurity.
Initially, her family depended on the couple of dollars she made daily from begging, but eventually she decided to go out to work herself digging stones.
“When I started, my body was not used to it, and the rough stones hurt my hands. Everyone has their own area to dig. Some tell you not to dig near their spot, people push you aside. Those who came before me know where the best gravel is,” she said.
Despite the difficulty of her work, it has enabled Amina to provide food, shelter, and education for her nine children.
“I was displaced before and I moved here. I now live in a rented house. My children attend school. I started this job to escape the struggles of displacement. We eat two meals a day,” she said.
She receives no support from her husband, who relocated with another wife to a different area.
Amina explained that whilst the men are able to fill a truck with stones in seven days, it takes her at least 10 days, meaning that she earns $40 each time she fills a truck.
Another displaced mother, Fadumo Abdi Ali, 52, living in Haji Ise neighbourhood, just north of El-jalle, said that despite the lack of machinery that would make the work easier, she still makes $15 a week that enables her to cook two meals for her nine children.
She came to El-jalle after fleeing El Ahmed, a village about 10 km away, where they had a farm and some livestock.
She told Radio Ergo’s local reporter that she dreams of achieving financial stability and being able to move her family out of displacement.
According to Muridi Haji Hasan Muridi, the $40 a week he makes from this work is a steady income that supports his family. He digs up to 10 metres into the earth to extract the stones, spending more than 10 hours a day.
The hard-earned income means they can avoid depending on others and now live in a rented house paying $20 monthly rent.
“This work has become my means of providing for my children and family. Many things have changed for my family.
When I fled from Qoryoley, I was living with relatives, but now I am self-sufficient and supporting my household. Today, my job feeds my children. I am not expecting support from Europe,” he said.
After fleeing conflict in Qoryoley last June, his family at first had no choice but to seek shelter and food assistance from relatives. He asked local residents where he could find work, and they directed him to the stone extraction job. He soon got used to the dusty, back breaking job.
“Sometimes, you come across a large rock. You have to dig underneath it. This is not an easy job for those who want to make quick money, it’s tough work and extremely difficult. The salt and steam from the water have turned my skin red like a metal wire,” he told Radio Ergo.
“Being a displaced person dependent on relatives is a challenging situation. There were many obstacles, such as not having enough food for my children or even being able to change their clothes. My wife is disabled, and I have faced many hardships.”
