From daily labourers to skilled entrepreneurs: How plumbing training transformed lives in Ethiopia

Kebribeyah, ETHIOPIA (ILO News) – Ali Dhage Mohammed, a 40-year-old refugee, used to rely on unstable daily labour to support his family that lives with him at the Kaberibeyah Refugee camp, 70 kms from Somali’s Jigjiga town. “Some days I had work, some days I didn’t. It was hard to plan for anything,” he recalls. But everything changed when he enrolled in a plumbing training offered through Jigjiga Polytechnic College. The training, implemented with the support of the ILO under the PROSPECTS Programme, aimed to equip host and refugee community members with practical skills to improve their livelihoods and improve thier access to decent work. “I didn’t know much about plumbing before, but I was determined to learn. The training was practical, and the – trainers were very supportive.”

Ali’s dedication paid off. He was recognized as one of the best-performing trainees and awarded a set of professional tools on graduation day. “That moment gave me hope. It felt like the beginning of something new,” he says.

Together with three other graduates, including Muhamud Ilmooge Guray, a refugee from Somalia, they formed Babao Water Supply PLC. Muhamud, also 40, had been struggling to support his wife and eight children on small daily wages. “I heard about the training from the community and registered through the Refugee and Returnee Service (RRS). I never imagined I would be a professional plumper,” he says. “The training was nice, and the trainers were patient. I learned a skill I never had before.”

Today, Babao Water Supply PLC is a registered business operating in Kebribeyah town and the surrounding villages. The group received initial tool support from an NGO and reinvested their earnings to buy additional equipment. Their monthly income as a group now ranges between 60,000 and 70,000 Birr (approximately $400–$470), a significant leap from their previous earnings.

© ILO/Zelalem Alemenew Desta

© ILO/Zelalem Alemenew Desta

Stephen Opio, Chief Technical Advisor, ILO PROSPECTS Ethiopia and Sudan, reflected on the transformation, "By investing ILO’s technical and financial resources into this Vocational Training Satellite Center in Kebribeyah, we have reduced the distance that refugees had to travel from Kaberibeyah to Jigjiga by 70 kms. This automatically increases the access to education and vocational training for displaced persons and improves their earning potential based on skills acquired. This isa game-changer not only for Ali and Muhamud, but for others in the community too”.

Stephen added, “This is a Humanitarian Development Peace Nexus approach to programming which enables groups such as this one to receive business licenses that lead to business formalisation.”

Ali, who serves as the manager of the PLC, handles customer negotiations and project coordination. “We work with individuals and the Woreda administration. We are proud to deliver quality services and meet deadlines,” he says.

Their work has been noticed. Mahamed Kedir Ahmed, Head of Kebribeyah City Administration Water Utility Office, praises their contribution, “There is a growing demand for skilled professionals in Kebribeyah and nearby villages. Babao Water Supply PLC is meeting that demand. They have taken contracts from our office and delivered on time and to standard. They are the only organized PLC providing this service in the city.”

The Water Utility Office itself has limited staff, making the PLC’s role even more vital. “We don’t have enough people to meet the needs of the community. Their work fills a critical gap,” Mahamed adds.

Looking ahead, the team has ambitious plans. “We want to expand and create job opportunities for others,” Ali says. “We know what it’s like to struggle. Now we want to help others find stability through skills and work.”

Gizeshwork Tadesse, National Skill Development Officer, said, “The story of Babao Water Supply beautifully illustrates the principle of social and economic inclusion. By providing market-relevant skills and fostering an entrepreneurial spirit, we are not only lifting families out of poverty but also building resilient local economies.