(ERGO) – More than 200 men who were formerly pastoralists have found a new living working on camel ranches on the outskirts of Qardho, in Somalia’s Puntland state.
The ranches, established by local businessmen and diaspora, have provided them with a reliable source of income since being established in February.
Mahamud Ahmed Mahamud, a father of four, said the job herding in the day and guarding at night allows him to provide for his family’s needs. Last year, his own herd of 64 goats were wiped out in the drought.
“My family’s life has improved and I can get them three meals a day. Life used to be so difficult, we could barely afford one meal by begging and doing small jobs. It’s hard being an unemployed man with children who expect a lot from you,” he said.
Mahamud earns $300 a month looking after a herd of 80 camels. It’s allowed him to build a two-room iron-sheet house with a latrine for $600, a significant upgrade from the single shack they lived in before that sometimes blew down in the wind.
He has paid off a $160 debt that grew over eight months and also enrolled two of his children in school, paying $20 a month in fees. He is also saving $50 a month for emergencies.
Another younger man, Geelle Osman Mohamed, is supporting his mother and four younger siblings with his job herding 26 camels for a salary of $200 a month.
“Our life before and now is very different. We are prosperous! There were times when it was so difficult for us. We would only cook one meal a day, but now our life has recovered. I’m a working man making more than before. Previously, I was just a destitute man sitting on the street,” he said.
Geelle’s mother used to work odd jobs, such as cleaning houses, making two to four dollars a week, which was not enough to support the family. It pained him to see his elderly mother doing difficult jobs just to find food and has meant a lot to him to be able to relieve his mother of that burden and provide her with a steady income.
He has paid off a $200 debt for food and clothes, and enrolled his four siblings in school and Koranic school for the first time, paying $45 a month in fees. He is hopeful for the future and plans to start saving money to one day start his own livestock business.
Abdullahi Nur Ahmed, an economics lecturer at Green Hope University in Qardho, said modern livestock management is attracting local investment and providing opportunities for people who lost their livelihoods.
“This is an important matter that can attract good investment to the country. It can also help prevent migration and insecurity. When young people get jobs with a steady salary and can support their families and dependents, it is a great benefit,” he said.
According to the camel herders’ cooperative, there are 14 camel ranches on the outskirts of Qardho housing more than 3,200 camels.
