(ERGO) – For years, Hassan Jeylani Nur used to spend long days waiting with dozens of other men on the streets of Galkayo, hoping to be picked for jobs on construction sites. He usually went home exhausted and empty-handed.
Now, this father of nine says a new job-sharing initiative among construction workers has given him a new ray of hope.
The group of skilled builders and unskilled manual labourers rotates available jobs among its members to ensure everyone gets a chance to earn an income.
Hassan said the arrangement has enabled him to support his wife and nine children consistently over the past two months after years of uncertainty.
“This system has made a huge difference for us. I now work three or four days a week, and earning about $15 a day is enough to cover my family’s needs. Before, there were times when we survived on leftovers from dinner for breakfast because we couldn’t afford proper meals. Now we can cook different foods every day,” he said.
As a trained mason, the initiative has relieved him of the daily anxiety of jobhunting. During periods of unemployment, he relied on credit to buy food for his family, accumulating debts of around $100.
The steady income he makes now covers rent, food, and school fees. Five of his children, who had dropped out because he could not afford their education, have returned to school. Hassan also began paying off his rent arrears.
“There was a time when the landlady locked the house and sent my children outside because I hadn’t paid rent. Neighbours intervened and convinced her to give me more time. I had fallen four months behind. Since joining this work-sharing arrangement, I’ve paid off half of what I owed,” he told Radio Ergo.
Unemployment among skilled workers seems to have worsened as construction contracts often go to a limited circle of workers connected to engineers or companies.
Hassan’s family was displaced from Tiyeglow district in Bakool region in 2019 after drought and conflict forced them to abandon the four-hectare farm that supported them. He said the employment cooperative has given his family renewed hope.
Abdulkadir Guled Ali has also rescued his family from a year of severe hardship. The father of 11 works three to four days a week and his family are eating three meals a day.
“On the days I work, I earn around $20. It covers my family’s needs. I’m no longer worried about paying rent, water, and electricity bills. Life today is much better than it was before. The difference is enormous,” he said.
Abdulkadir has already repaid part of a $250 debt owed to a local shop where he had been purchasing food on credit. He still owes $100 but expects to clear it soon. He has rented a two-room house for $60 a month and pays an additional $10 for water and electricity.
The income has also enabled him to keep six of his children in school, paying about $60 a month in school fees.
When he is not assigned work through the cooperative, he sometimes gets other jobs through contacts he made during his years in the construction sector.
The chairman of the group, engineer Abdulkadir Mohamed Aden, said the initiative was created in response to widespread unemployment among construction workers in Galkayo, where many workers were excluded from opportunities.
The group has created job opportunities for around 50 skilled workers and labourers. Members have worked on the construction of 18 modern houses as well as renovation and finishing projects across Galkayo city.
“Our programme has produced real change. People who were unemployed now have work and a source of income. At first many doubted the idea, but once they saw the results they became interested. Even the worker who gets the fewest assignments still works about 15 days a month and earns between $15 and $20 a day. That income makes a big difference to their families,” Abdulkadir said.
The group members say sharing available opportunities has provided a practical solution that is helping dozens of families regain stability and dignity through work.
