Visiting a mother in Somaliland to see how ADRA business initiatives can make a real difference.
In the British Isles we take our dietary and cooking needs for granted. But meet Ambaro Farah Ahmed, in her modest home in Mohammed Moge Village, Hargeisa, Somaliland. Her warm smile welcomes us into the house, which serves as the sleeping quarters for the children as well as a store for ceramic liners which are part of Ambaro's source of livelihood. Ambaro is a cookstove producer, and heads a group of 5, recipients of support from ADRA's Somalia Energy and Livelihood Project (SELP) supported by your gifts to ADRA-UK.
Ambaro is a hardworking woman who, like many women in Somaliland, had to bear the burden of heading the family when her husband passed away over seven years ago. Ambaro initially received some training on stove production from a local NGO, which equipped her with the basic skills and provided her with some metal sheets, clay and a drum for storing water, enabling her to begin production.
Along with two colleagues, Ambaro has been producing stoves for about two years, achieving a monthly production of 50 stoves. Each of the stoves produced is sold for approximately £2.50 to a local retail shop. Although Ambaro was happy to be actively engaged in stove production, she faced several challenges. The quality of stoves was not consistent, and many of the stoves she produced were not bought. At the time, Ambaro had an arrangement with the local retailer, who also stocked foodstuffs. She would access basic foodstuff for her family on credit, and the retailer would deduct the cost of foodstuffs from the money owed to her from the sale of the stoves. According to Ambaro, the money was barely sufficient to meet the cost of foodstuffs, and this reduced the funds available for reinvesting in the business. Ambaro had to supplement the family income by offering her services as a midwife, a skill she had practiced in her earlier years. Despite the challenges, Ambaro continued to produce stoves, although her productivity dwindled to almost nil. Her fortunes changed however when she was selected to participate in a training workshop on cookstoves by ADRA Somaliland office.
She says, "ADRA has turned around my business," singling out the most significant areas of support as the in-depth training on cookstove production, the provision of moulds for standardized manufacture of stove liners, and £70 given to her for purchase of materials to jump-start production. The benefits of the support provided by ADRA are direct as well as tangible: the moulds make the production of ceramic stove liners easier, productivity has increased, and she is now able to produce 100 stoves every month. The quality of stoves has improved, and as a result they fetch a higher price and sell better. The retail shop has been able to absorb all the stoves produced.
In just 4 months of revived production, Ambaro and her group are excited about the impact of the support from ADRA on their lives. The income from the sale of stoves has increased from $200 to approximately $600 a month currently. Half of the income is reinvested in the production of more stoves, and half goes to meet household needs. This has allowed Ambaro to provide not just for her own family, but also to support a sickly neighbour who is widowed. In total, she supports 29 people (including 13 children). She also pays school fees for two of her grandchildren. She is no longer living 'hand-to-mouth' and has even been able to save some of the income to purchase a piece of land for her family. With the increase in production, Ambaro recently hired 2 more women to assist in liner production, and 1 person to assist with cladding production. She is proud to be able to contribute to providing much needed employment.
The success story of Ambaro is just beginning to take shape and the best is yet to come. ADRA is now supporting the construction of a proper working shed and kiln for Ambaro, giving them more room for production. ADRA is continuing to change lives, one at a time. For more on ADRA and how you can help visit <
www.adra.org.uk>.
