Helsinki – Hundreds of youth in Ethiopia’s Somali region and Somaliland received trainings related to job-creation and gradually transformed into full-fledged entrepreneurs, who not only help themselves but also their families, visiting Somaliland and Somali-Ethiopian delegation said.
According to the World Bank, 91% of Ethiopia’s population has been in a region hit by repeated droughts, floods, locust infestations, and conflict since 2018, with unemployment remaining high at all times.
However, three NGOs in Ethiopia and Somaliland – OWDA, Curis and Somaliland Y-Peer defied the odds by offering the youth in various skills training programs among them auto-mechanic, plumbing, sanitation, sewing, graphic design and multimedia, electricity, beauty and how to install CCTV cameras. Over 500 youth, who were poor, homeless, uneducated, some of them herders who lost their livestock in concurring droughts, some of them drug addicts or suffer mental illnesses, in Jigjiga, Godey in Ethiopia and in Hargeisa, Somaliland were trained. Some of them showing their full potential of becoming entrepreneurs.
“We work hard in order those youth to be re-admitted into the society and train them to develop their lives.” Mohamed Hussein Ismail, Project Coordinator at OWDA organization for Welfare and Development told Finnish Somali Media Network (SSMV) during his recent study visit to Helsinki Finland.
Lack of adequate professional skills hinder many youth to find a job, leading many youth to migrate to either middle eastern countries or smuggled into Europe through dangerous roots that cost some of them their lives in search of better lives. However, many of those trained survived from taking dangerous decisions like illegal migration or drug use.
Some of the youth who were traumatized with background of substance abuse or mental illnesses received psychosocial support, in addition to a package of life skill training.
“We trained 180 members, 100 of them received life skill training management – how they can management their lives, setting goals, time management and decision making” Omar Mohamed Yusuf, OWDA said, “The skills provided are based on the needs of the youth in their respective towns.”
Niman Abdisalan Nuh is the one of the benefices of the project, which is funded by Finland’s foreign Ministry through Deaconess Foundation. According to Ismail, Nuh benefited from the skill training and learned Sewing, where he received start-up capital, after completing the training.
According to Mohamed Hussein Ismail, Project Coordinator at OWDA organization for Welfare and Development, Niman opened a shop with the startup capital and he later bought a sewing machine for his younger brother. Now together with his younger brother, they both help their families including house rent and providing younger siblings with school fees.
Startup capital is a small amount of money, which the applicants buy materials they need to start their businesses like machines or money to rent a shop to start their businesses.
These NGO’s support is not only limited to skill training, but also teach youth peace and the importance of mediation in a region hard hit by local conflicts especially clan warfare.
“We held interactive and experience sharing sessions on peace and mediation, where we invite elders, academics, Islamic affairs council and offices in charge of the youth. Youth participants get chance to ask questions in order to learn from them.” Abdirahman Bashiir, Curis Organization said, “We also invite Universities whose researches focus on peace building, mediation and conflict prevention in order to share their research to the youth. In this way, over 300 youth participated”
In Somaliland, Somaliland Y-Peer trained youth from various regions of in skills, leadership and health issues.
“Youth are trained in skills that help them win the job market.” Ismail Ahmed, Somaliland Y-Peer said, “135 youth were trained in graphic design and multimedia, electricity, beauty and how to install CCTV cameras”
“We believe that these skills help the youth win the job market” Mr. Ahmed added.
These are, the first of its kind projects implemented in Ethiopia and Somaliland, helping youth in getting suitable jobs and sustainable, whereas such skill training programs discourage the mass exodus of the youth in the region to Europe in search of better lives.
The wellbeing of the young people is also a benefit for peace-building and sustaining peace.
Credit- Suomen Somalimediaverkosto –
