A new Hope back Home

After I completed the Quran, I became a madras teacher for some years and later married. Life was good till the war broke out and things took an unexpected turn. I was already married with two children by then and currently I have 6 children (4 girls and 2 boys). People in my town fled to other countries in search of peace and a better life. I then decided to seek refuge in the neighboring country Kenya where we settled at IFO camp. The camp was overcrowded and full of other refugees from Somalia. We had no job opportunities and were relying on humanitarian agencies for help. We survived through thick and thin hoping things would be better one day but was all in vain.

In the year 2013 I received information from my colleagues on project started in Baidoa, Somalia on durable solution for Somali refugee returnees through assistance and promoting sustainable livelihood through grant distribution and cash for work. When I heard of this immediately decided to return to my own country. It was mid-April 2013 when we resettled in Baidoa. We struggled a little in the beginning but it was not long when things picked up. Where there is a will there is a way.

In the beginning of 2015, I got a great opportunity as I was chosen as one of the beneficiaries of durable solutions for refugees and returnees project. Qualified teachers were provided and we were trained on business management and entrepreneurship which was conducted in Somali. The training was to equip us with the basic foundations of business management and entrepreneurship skills using ILO tools (Know About your Business and Start and Your Business). After the training a business plan competition was conducted. During the training I was very keen and grabbed information that were important in preparing my business plan in the best of my knowledge, applying what I have learnt during the training. After the competition, I was among the top ranked. My family was very happy that I had succeeded and was one of the best. I later received 14 days of financial management training and was awarded $500 to start my own business.

Before I began anything with the money I had won, I decided it was best to assess the local market to find a place to establish a small business where no other similar businesses existed.

“My ambition is to educate my kids, give them better health care services and pay for their daily food through this business and I hope God will help me along the way,” Mohamud said with a smile on his face.

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