Libah-Har village stands alone in the desert, speckled with tiny huts made from sticks, mud and plant fibre. Goats, camels and sheep graze on dry, brown grass. Life in Libah-Har is confined and entirely dependent on livestock. It does not have a secondary school, healthcare center and other basic human needs to educate nor heal its more than 500 residents. Resources are scarce and conflict over land, water and charcoal continues to destabilize the entire region.
Over 60% of Libah-Har’s population are youths desperate for education and opportunity. Unemployed youths affected by
the protracted violent conflict often fall into a life of crime, and those that don’t get
involved in crime stay hopeless at home.
Abdiweli was armed as a child. After
finishing primary school he turned to crime, working as a footsoldier at illegal checkpoints in Qardho district, northeast Puntland. Recognising
an urgent need to give disconnected Somali youth economic opportunities , just
over 1,000 youth were engaged through local partner. Of these, more than 800
have received vocational training, with the top performing students receiving
small grants to start micro-enterprises and a further 400 participating in an
internship programme with small businesses in Puntland.
Abdiweli was one of the recipients,
he was offered a grant to start a coffee and confectionary shop. Over 60 people
buy coffee from his shop each evening. He is now focused on making his business
a success, where he has now enrolled in school to learn
business management skills. With the youth unemployment
rate in Somalia amongst the highest in the world, what the youth here lack are
investment, resources and opportunity. As Abdiweli proves, an investment
targeting youths can go a long way in supporting peace and stability in
Somalia.
The Stability Fund, working with
CESVI, appreciates the opportunity given by the residents of Libah-Har to work
with the youth in the local area to create jobs and businesses. The initiative
was recently extended to support additional follow-up activities to help
translate skills development into real employment.
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