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Department for Non Formal Education
Caritas Switzerland/Luxembourg –
SwissGroup
Caritas Switzerland/Luxembourg, in
Somaliland also known as SwissGroup, has
focused it’s recent interventions among others on
the empowerment of women and girls, with the
ultimate objective to equally distribute resources,
rights and representation among women and men. In
2006, two projects, namely “Skills and Knowledge
Training” and “Literacy and Numeracy” contributed
towards this objective.
The following three stories exemplify
some of the successes which were achieved in the
area of women development and women empowerment
between 2002 and 2006.
inda’s life stands for the life of many young women
in Somaliland: Born in a rural village in 1978, she
had to take refuge in Ethiopia in the late eighties,
when the war between South Somalia and Somaliland
ravaged the country for several years. Too young to
benefit from education before the flight, life in
the refugee camp didn’t offer much space for
learning, neither. With no way to go, Hinda and her
family stayed in the camp until 2000, when they
eventually decided to join other persons who were
returning to Hargeisa. In Hargeisa, she, her mother
and her five siblings were given a small plot where
they could build a shelter. It was in 2002 when
Hinda decided to join one of the local NGOs for a
literacy and numeracy course supported by Caritas.
Last year she took advantage of a skills training
project implemented by Caritas. From the various
skills offered to her, Hinda chose to become a
tailor. Achieving this goal took her six months of
institute based learning and two months of
attachment to one of the open market tailors.
Instead of remaining an employee, Hinda opted for
self employment. Again with the support from
Caritas, she got herself a tailoring machine, which
is now inside her hut. Her main customers are the
neighbours, whom she had told about this new
machine. Her income is still meagre in relative
terms; yet, for her family, having twenty extra
dollars each week makes a huge difference. And Hinda
has even bigger plans: She is currently taking an
English course in the same NGO, so that she can
communicate with people from outside Somaliland in
the future. Work wise she is considering relocating
her business to the open market area: “In the open
market area I can reach more customers. At the same
time I will keep my neighbours in that they can
deliver their cloths for repair in the morning, and
I will return them in the evening.”
Even though Hindas early life stands for the life of
many young women in Somaliland, she has succeeded
with her own will power and the support from a local
and an international NGO to break the vicious circle
of poverty. As she mentioned on our way out,
“knowledge opens many doors, after having accessed
basic education, one can go everywhere”.
Zeinab, Ayan, Khadra and Hibo, all between twenty
and twenty five years old, share a similar fate. In
the late eighties, they had to flee Hargeisa for
reasons described above. It was only few years ago,
after their return, that they got a chance to
acquire basic literacy and numeric skills, which
again enabled them to join a skills training course.
They learned six months in a local vocational
training centre, which receives support from
Caritas. In order to gain relevant practical skills,
they added two months of enterprise based training.
With the support from Caritas, they purchased four
tailoring machines and started their own business.
For all of them, managing a business was a new
experience: “We weren’t business people before. In
the first weeks, we hardly sold anything. But slowly
we gained experience, and succeeded in marketing our
products better”, says one of them. Today, not even
half a year into the new activity, they are selling
a variety of cloths for women and men, and offer
repair services. In addition they train other young
girls - in exchange for a minimal fee - on how to
use a tailoring machine.
These diversified activities reward them with a
modest income at the end of each week. If nobody
needs the money, they save it for future
reinvestment. But if any of them is in need, they
give it to her.
Although the four are already successful, their
ambitions point at higher goals: In the coming few
months they intend to open a bigger shop, in a new
area. Before doing so, they will conduct a market
assessment: “This is one of the things that we
learnt during our training: marketing of a product
is important, but being in the right location, is at
least the same important”.
The day we visited Hubqaad beauty saloon in central
Hargeisa, two workers were just fixing new mirrors
and panelling. It was one of the rehabilitations
that Ikraan, proud owner, is regularly investing in
her spacious beauty saloon, ensuring that it remains
among the best saloons of Hargeisa.
However, what gives the impression of a very
successful business venture today, with seven
permanently employees, started as a simple idea five
years ago.
The beginning of Ikraans life story is similar to
that of many women in Somaliland: She was born in
Hargeisa in the early seventies, and as a child
succeeded to access primary schooling. However, when
she reached grade six, her entire family was forced
to take refuge in neighbouring Ethiopia. Other then
many companions, she returned immediately after the
war to Hargeisa. Initially she joined private
schools to be taught English language skills; later
on she sold fruits and vegetables on the local
market to make a living for her and her family. It
was in 2002 when Ikraan signed up for a vocational
skills training, offered by SOYAAL training centre,
with support from Caritas. During this training she
acquired basic tailoring and small business
management skills. To that she added six months of
on job training and thereafter worked as an employee
for nearly two years. It was in 2004 when she
decided to open her own business. Thinking back, she
agrees that “being an owner is better than working
as an employee”. However, she also states that the
two and a half years work experience have given her
the necessary knowledge and maturity to successfully
manage an own saloon. It still took her some time to
reach up to the point where she is today: “I started
with Henna, hair dressing, and Unsi making. I tried
to make my customers feel welcome and comfortable,
so that they would come back and call upon my
services again. With the money that I saved from my
early customers, I bought additional equipment such
as bridal gowns.” Today, Ikraan’s monthly net profit
varies between 500 and 1000$.
Owning and managing one of Hargeisas best beauty
saloons is however not the last of Ikraan’s aims in
life: Currently she is planning to go abroad for
some time, to get additional exposure and be able to
further improve both quality and range of her
business in Hargeisa.
The advice that she wants to give to all current
beauty arts students is to start small, be focused
and with time, expand the business.
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