Somalia: Financial empowerment restores hope to displaced women entrepreneurs

In response to the growing needs of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) Islamic Relief established the Drought Response for Somalia Project (DROPS) which has already improved the lives of more than 50,000 people in Somalia’s southern cities.

This project is primarily aimed at communities who have fled hostilities and drought and are living in desperate circumstances in the camps of the Baidoa district.

As part of the DROPS project, Islamic Relief built 50 shelters, constructed a market shed and drilled a borehole with kiosks and water troughs. As a result, 3,000 homes in the camps and surrounding areas are now able to access clean and safe water enabling many drought-affected families to build homes in Dinsor and Baidoa.

Islamic Relief also distributed 70 dollars in cash over a period of four months to more than 1,602 vulnerable people in the camps.

Islamic Relief supported me with start-up money – they also gave me $500 and constructed the market shed. I am the only breadwinner for my family as my husband Mohamed Mursal died 10 years ago. Now I sell mats, baskets and make tie dye clothes for other women

Hawa Mohamed Nur, a 50-year-old widowed mother of 4 children.

Find out more about our lifesaving and transformational work in Somalia here.

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