(ERGO) – Getting a job in a new factory in Harfo, in central Somalia’s Mudug region, has meant that Ahmed Abdikhayr Jama can provide fully for his family of eight and has dropped the idea of migrating overseas in search of work.
He is among over 300 men and women from vulnerable families trained and employed in the factory that opened in December 2024, producing disposable plastic containers, furniture and electrical items.
Ahmed started working in the plastic production section on 5 January, earning $300 a month.
“The biggest gain for me is that I am no longer begging others for help. I have an income every month. I pay for my children’s education, I pay rent and bills,” he told Radio Ergo.
He had been struggling to meet his family’s daily needs and they cooked only once a day, relying on irregular support from relatives in Galkayo.
He now regularly pays $30 each month for three of his children’s education that he previously couldn’t do. He recalls having to beg relatives for money or have the children sent home from school when he couldn’t pay.
He has paid off a $240 debt owed for rent and school fees. Having gone nearly two years without a job, Ahmed is happy with the transformation this work has brought. He lost his construction job in 2023 when large companies entered the area with their own labour force.
At one point, he considered taking the dangerous overseas migration option as he had no work.
“This job first and foremost saved me from the illegal migration, there’s a huge difference. If you’re unemployed you have to beg from others, stand on the street, or resort to theft or crime,” he said.
Now that he’s cleared his debts and stabilised his household, Ahmed plans to begin saving. The job has also given him new skills through training in machine operating, mixing raw materials for plastic production, and following safety protocols.
Formerly a pastoralist in the rural areas of Mudug, Ahmed lost his last 38 goats to severe drought in 2022, which forced him to move to town in search of jobs.
Twenty-one-year-old Sadio Abdirahman Hasan began working in the factory’s furniture production department on 24 January, shortly after finishing high school. Her mother, a widow, fell sick and couldn’t continue her business slaughtering goats, so Sadio took on full responsibility as the eldest child.
“My family relies entirely on me now, she said. I’ve become the one whose work is dependable and productive,” said Sadio, who supports two extended families totalling 15 people on her $200 salary.
She sends money to her mother in Galkayo and gives the rest to her grandmother, who lives with her in Harfo. They now manage to cook twice a day regularly. She pays $15 monthly for three younger siblings to attend school and $40 rent for her mother’s two-room home.
Last month, she cleared a $170 debt that her mother had accumulated in her goat slaughtering business.
Having lost her father when she was young, she hopes one day to start her own furniture-making business.
“My dream is to open a business that can provide income and allow me to contribute to the development of the area. I want to work hard and save money toward that goal,” she said.
The manager of Rasmi factory in Harfo, Nur Mohamed Farah, told Radio Ergo that they recognised the need for jobs and the untapped opportunities in the local economy.
“These employees are now trained technicians, not just workers. With the right support, they can deliver huge benefits to the community,” Nur said.
