(ERGO) –  Nearly 200 young people, including the poor and displaced, have lifted their families out of poverty after finding work opportunities in green houses, which have been established by businessmen on the outskirts of Mogadishu.

Mahmoud Ilyas Hassan, who has been working for six months, has been able to support his mother and seven siblings. They are now among the most prosperous people in the Saacid camp in Kaxda district where they live.

This change was helped by the seven dollars he earns a day for his part in picking ripe crops such as tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers. He said that he and his family have overcome life’s challenges, the most important of which is finding food.

“Sometimes we didn’t get anything for a day or two, even finding food was difficult, but the farm enabled us to earn a living to support our family. Sometimes we get three hours a day, and we pay for our education.”

Mahmoud said that this job also fulfilled his dream of providing education to his siblings. He was able to enroll two of his siblings in the first grade of primary school, paying them $16 a month.

Mahmoud said he learned the farming method best on a one-hectare plot of land they owned near Awdhiigle in the Lower Shabelle region.

The man said that his previous knowledge of the task made it easier for him to get this opportunity. He became one of the people selected when their experience was satisfactory.

“That knowledge enabled me to get this job. People were looking for someone who knew what they were planting and could take care of it, understand how much the plants would produce, and how to treat them for pests, and that’s what made it possible for me to be in this job today.”

Mahmoud pointed out that their farm has not produced anything for three seasons after successive floods and droughts.

He added that they had no choice but to seek refuge in camps in Mogadishu in 2022, when the agriculture they relied on for their livelihoods was destroyed due to drought.

Mahmoud, although he is currently the breadwinner of his family, is looking to improve his agricultural skills. He is thinking about becoming a farmer.

“I plan to look for a job since I’m in the city, and there are many opportunities, so that I can benefit from the agricultural science I’m studying. Since I’m in the city, I’ll take advantage of it so that it becomes an opportunity for me in the future.”

Mahmoud’s family’s life is now better than it was. He hopes to earn enough money to leave a life of displacement.

Other men who are capable of farming include 26-year-old Ali Hassan Guuleed. He has found a stable life for his poor family living in the Jazira area on the outskirts of the capital.

He says he no longer has to worry about feeding his nine siblings and caring for his mother, who lives with diabetes.

The job Ali found in modern agriculture enabled him to officially take over the responsibility of the family.

“I am happy with the way the work is going now, Alhamdulillah. We have enough for our three meals and the house bill. In the past, we lived with a benefactor who would throw things at us and people who would give us things from those places, but now we have a good opportunity.”

Ali is responsible for spraying the crops on the farm and protecting them from pests.

The man said that before he got this job, their lives were very poor, but now they are recovering.

“Before, my mother used to do laundry and everything so that we could survive. But now I am better off, Alhamdulillah I work and come here every morning. I leave in the afternoon, so I am looking after the family now. God willing, we hope to return to our farm.”

They relied on a small income that their sick mother forced them to take on difficult jobs like washing clothes and serving other families.

Ali said he is the only person in his family who can provide for him now. He said they had been living a miserable life since their father died in 2019, but they have now recovered from this job.

Mohamed Mahmoud Hirsi, the manager of Deeqsan Farm and a member of the Banadir Regional Farmers’ Committee, said that priority should be given to young people with agricultural experience who have been displaced from the regions, as they are already familiar with the work. He also mentioned that poor young people in the surrounding area should not be forgotten and should be given training on the drip irrigation system for these farms.

“The young people working here are mostly displaced people whose farms were affected by drought. We chose to give them an opportunity because they are knowledgeable about soil and plants, and they learn the job quickly.”

The man said that these farms are increasing in the area as rural areas have been affected by droughts. He noted that this farming method is effective as it uses techniques that can protect against climate change.

He added that their aim is to provide jobs to more young people to increase their production. He said that only six people work on his farm.

“Our goal is not just to produce, but to create a change in life. When you see a young man who was previously struggling and now paying for his family and his siblings’ education with the five dollars he earns here a day, it is a great achievement for us.”

The popularity of these types of farms in Somaliland is growing, as they enable farmers to cope with water shortages caused by climate change and manage pests. They also increase employment opportunities for local people.

Source: Ergo