(ERGO) – An auto-repairs training and job initiative set up by a Somali returned from abroad to Baidoa has set dozens of displaced young men on a career path enabling them to support their families with pride.
Steady work has allowed 93 youth to leave displacement camps, enroll their children in school, and clear longstanding debts, after completing a training course in car, motorcycle, and electrical repairs.
The trainees like Ali Hasan Nishow have been employed at one of two garages in Baidoa. Ali got the job in September and earns $7–$8 a day, enough to cover the daily needs of his family of eight.
“Our life is now much better than before,” he said. “My family’s situation has improved. I used to be unable to cover household expenses, but now that I have regular work, everything has become easier.”
In November, he was able to move his family out of Bodaan IDP camp to rent a two-room iron-sheet house with a small kitchen and latrine in Baidoa town, for $40 a month.
Ali has paid off a $70 debt owed to shops that had previously supplied him food on credit. Last month, he enrolled three of his children for the first time in primary school and Koranic classes, paying combined fees of $15.
He also supports his elderly parents living in a camp and gives them $2 a day to meet their needs. Through careful saving, he has set aside $60 since he started working and hopes to gradually increase it.
Ali learned basic mechanics as a child while helping his father in a small workshop. That early training helped him adapt quickly to the new job.
“We now live like ordinary families in Baidoa. We have water, we have stability, and the stress I used to carry has lifted. I have the skills, so I can repair cars, motorcycles, and tuk-tuks.”
Ali’s family fled their home in Goof-gaduud-buurey, 30 kilometres from Baidoa, in 2023 due to conflict between Somali government forces and Al-Shabaab. At the same time, their four-hectare farm failed due to drought, forcing them into an IDP camp where they stayed until this year.
Ibrahim Isse Ahmed, another beneficiary, moved his family of seven out of El-bay camp after securing work at the “Hasan Yare” garage. He earns $200 to $230 a month that covers his family’s needs. He compares this to his struggle previously depending on handouts from neighbours and odd portering jobs.
“Since I started this job, we have lived a dignified life. I didn’t have the income I earn now and we used to cook only once a day, but now we cook three times,” he said.
he purchases 20 kg each of flour, rice, and sugar every month, and pays $3 weekly for a barrel of water.
In November, he enrolled two of his children in primary school for the first time, paying $10 a month.
Severe drought in 2022 devastated his family’s livelihood in Bur-god village, where their 30 goats died and their two-hectare farm dried up.
“This job saved me from that thought of overseas migration,” he said. “Now I hope for a better future. I want to save money and one day open my own business. The suffering we went through can’t even be described.”
The garage initiative was launched by Hasan Noor Abdullahi, who recently returned from abroad. He said his goal is to reduce unemployment among the displaced and equip young men with practical skills to support their families.
“My plan is for these people to benefit and have sustainable employment. We first train them in the skills they need, and then they earn an income to support their families and build their future,” he said, adding that opening a third garage is his next goal.
