(ERGO) – After losing his livestock in the drought-hit rural areas of central Somalia’s Galmudug, Hassan Yasin Abdullahi bought a motorbike and is supporting his family of five now living in Hananley village near Dhusamareb as a courier.
He earns between $10 and $15 a day transporting goods and passengers between scattered rural settlements. The income enables him to provide food, water, and other essentials for his family – a significant improvement from the past months when they sometimes went for days without meals.
“There were times we stayed in the house for a whole week with nothing, struggling together as a family,” he told Radio Ergo. “Now, with this motorbike, I can provide for my children. Life before and now are completely different.”
Hassan lost around 80 goats over two years of failed rains, which forced him to abandon pastoralism as a reliable livelihood. He was encouraged to start the motorbike business by neighbours doing the same.
He got a loan from relatives in Dhusamareb to buy the $800 motorbike that he rides daily to villages including Las-hadow, Bohol, Gal-hamur, Faragoy, Garsale, and Higlale, where he has built a regular customer base.
He has managed to repay his loan and is now saving for the future, setting aside about $50 a month. He has saved $400, aiming to invest in a larger vehicle.
He has also enrolled three of his children in school for the first time, paying around $20 per month in fees. This was beyond his means before.
It’s estimated by locals that more than 100 men from displaced and low-income families in and around Dhusamareb town are making incomes as motorbike couriers.
Abdimahad Mahmoud Hassan switched from low paying construction work in Dhusamareb a few months ago, and is now making about $10 a day doing work that is less physically demanding and more profitable.
“When I was a labourer, I carried loads on my back. Now the motorbike carries the load for me. There is a big difference between waiting for someone to help you and earning your own income,” he said.
His improved earnings have allowed him to move his family of seven out of a displacement camp on the outskirts of town into a rented two-room house in Dhusamareb, where he pays $30 rent a month.
He has also been able to provide regular meals for his children and gradually repay debts accumulated during the drought, including $1,000 borrowed for food and livestock needs.
“People supported me when I had nothing, and now I am paying back little by little,” he said.
Abdimahad still owes less than $200 for the motorbike loan he took and continues to juggle household expenses with debt repayments.
He also supports five related families who remain in rural areas after losing their livestock, sharing part of his earnings to help them cope.
For many pastoralists in the region, motorbikes have become an essential service as traditional means of transport decline.
Mahmoud Hashi Ulusow, a resident of Bali-hogol village, about 20 kilometres east of Dhusamareb, is among the regular customers relying on motorbikes. He previously used camels to transport goods, but they have become too weak due to the drought to carry loads.
“The motorbike is faster and cheaper, and it reaches us easily. Our animals can no longer do this work,” he said.
The growing demand for transport services in rural areas has created a new economic opportunity for displaced families willing to adapt. However, challenges remain as riders still need to access loans to buy the bikes and maintain steady household support whilst meeting repayments.
