Somali women in a village in an arid part of Ethiopia’s Somali region have taken over the normally male-run strenuous business of fetching and selling water in order to educate their children.

Hinda Siad Ahmed, a divorced mother of 10, is one of 26 women from poor backgrounds in Lafa-Isse village, 30 kilometres northwest of Jigjiga, working a hard 10-hour day selling eight barrels of water.

She uses a donkey cart to fetch the water from a well 10 kilometres from the village. “My biggest issue with this work is the long distance I have to walk to fetch the water and the long queues at the well,” Hinda told Radio Ergo.

“I make $5.50 a day from my work. I save part of the money to pay for my children’s education and we use the remaining amount for our daily lives.”

Most students from poor families in Lafe-Isse drop out after finishing secondary school to look for casual jobs to help their families, as the nearest university is in Jigjiga, which few can afford.

But Hinda, who is divorced, is managing to pay $50 a semester for her daughter in her first year at the university’s faculty of health. Her daughter stays with relatives who help with accommodation. Hinda also pays for clothing, pens and books for seven children at the local free primary and secondary school.

She took up selling water four years ago as the only way of educating her children. They help her at the weekend when she gets a little rest.

Sahra Muse Aweys, 56, another hard-working water seller in the village was delighted to witness her eldest son’s graduation from Jigjiga university on 30 January.  It took him six years to complete the degree in engineering because of breaks when they had no money. Sahra used to try to send him $36 per semester for maintenance on top of his $50 tuition fees.

“After his first year at the university, my son fell sick. I couldn’t visit him because of financial problems. That was the worst I can remember of his university days,” said Sahra.

For seven years, Sahra has been starting work at six in the morning, aiming to $6 a day by selling enough water to feed and educate all nine children. She is now saving up for university fees for her son currently in form four at the local secondary school.

“In a day I fetch six to eight barrels of water, which I sell to 11 families who are my fixed customers. On good days, I fetch up to 10 barrels,” said Sahra.

Abdirahman Abdullahi Hirsi, the engineering graduate, hopes he will soon get a job and be able to let his mother give up this heavy work.

“My mother has worked hard to pay my university education. My first goal once I get a job is to thank her by retiring her from this hard job,” Abdirahman told Radio Ergo.

Source: Radio Ergo