"I'm a grandmother and a female construction worker. I'm almost 60 years old and separated with my ex-husband close to 13 years ago. I have 9 children, 6 of them have their own families but I still take care of the youngest 3 as they are still young. I forced them into education and pay all their expenses. I want them to have a future that I couldn't have. Education is the key to life. Usually in the Somali culture, your adult children take care of you when you're old but my oldest son has 11 children and he is working hard to take care of them so I don’t pressure him. It's hard work but I’m a hard worker and on a good day; I earn around 4 dollars. We go to the construction site at 6 am in the morning and get selected. The Somali women are preferred more than the Somali men because we work harder and are more reliable. Amongst us women, we have a system in place. The older Somali women amongst us do the simpler tasks such as fetching water whilst the rest of us make the cement and collect stones. We finish late afternoon and go back to being a mother. It’s around the time when the kids come back from school. We talk about what they have been doing for the day. I've been doing this type of job for close to 7 years and to be honest, I'm happy with it because it's at least something."
(Borame, Somaliland)
"Waxaan ahay ayeeyo iyo shaqaale dhismaha ka shaqeeya. Da’dayda waxay ku dhawdahay 60 sanno. Ninkaygii wakhti hore ayaanu kala tagnay ku dhawaad 13 sano ayaanu kala maqanahay. Waxaan leeyahay 9 caruura, qaarkood way shaqeystaan oo reero ayeey leeyihin laakin 3 ka mid ah ayaan awoodin oo weli gaadhin inay shaqeystaan. Waxbarasho ayaan ku ku qasbay, kharashka ku baxa aniga bixiya. Waxaan jecelahay inee helaan mustaqbal wacan oo markii hore anigu aanan nasiib u helin hadu Alle idmo. Waayo, dhibaato iyo rafaad inee la kulmaan ma rabo. Waxbarashadda waa furaha nolosha. Dhaqanka Soomaaliyeed, markaad waayeel noqotid, caruurtaada ku daryeesha laakin Inankayga ugu weyn 11 caruur ayuu leeyahay, reerkiisa ayuu u shaqeeya marka culays ma saaro. Runti, shaqo adag weeye, laakin shaqaala adag baan ahay. Maalinta ugu fiican, waxaan qaata 4 doolar. Waxaan soo kalahaa aroortii si aan uu raadsado shaqo dhisme ah. Dumarka Soomaaliyeed ayaa markasta la doorbida dhanka shaqada oo markasta la qaata, waayo waan ka shaqo wacanahay raga. Nidaam baan leenahay, shaqadda aanu qabano waa biyaha oonu soo shubno marna dhagaxa ayaanu gurna marna sibidhka ayaanu qoosh-naa. Qofka noogu yara weyn baa loo dhiibaa biyaha waayo ma awoodi karto culays badan. Waxaan so rawaxnaa salaada Casar waa xiliga caruurtu iskuulka ka so baxaan. Waxaan ka wareesta waxbarashadooda iyo halka wax u marinayaan iyo side uu noolaayeen maalintooda. Mudo 7 sano ku dhow ayaan ka shaqeenayeey shaqaddan, runti waan ku qanacsanahay madaama aanan haysan bedel kale oon ku doorsado."
(Boorama, Somaliland)
..especially the men, instead of working, they would rather ask money from those overseas.
