Abdikadir Hussein: Tailoring a new life in Baidoa
Abdikadir Hussein Issack, a father of seven, returned from Yemen in 2013. He was born in Baidoa district, and he was blessed with four girls and three boys. During the war in Somalia he and his family migrated to Yemen as refugees.
22 March 2016
Life was difficult in the refugee camps and after a few years they decided to go back to Somalia. Returning to Somalia was not easy either, they were faced with a huge dilemma, wondering how they will survive knowing they had to start all over again.
While in Yemen, Abdikadir learned how to tailor clothes. Since he had no resources to buy his own sewing machine, he worked for someone else. When he went back to Baidoa, Abdikadir desired to own a tailoring shop and earn a living for his family.
Abdikadir was among the beneficiaries in Baidoa who received business entrepreneurship skills training as part of ILO’s Durable Solution 2015 project to economically reintegrate refugee returnees funded by the Government of Japan. The training utilized ILO’s internationally recognized tools which include Know About Business (KAB), which comprises understanding the role of business in the society and its contribution social responsibility and Start and Improve Your Business (SIYB) which focuses on starting and improving small businesses as a strategy for creating more and better employment in developing economies and economies in transition.
After the training, Abdikadir participated in a business plan competition and he was among other 100 beneficiaries who won grants of $500 each. The beneficiaries also received financial management training. Abdikadir decided to open his own tailoring shop in Baidoa town with the grant he had won fulfilling his longtime dream. He bought two sewing machines and different materials to make shirts, trousers, blouses, t-shirts and other clothing.
“I decided to open a tailoring shop because I learnt the skill when I was in Yemen. Through the ILO, I have received business and entrepreneurship skills and the financial support to complement this. My life has changed for the better since I opened the shop and I have high hope that one day I will become a well-known local producer of domestic cloth. At the moment I have enough customers and am thinking of expanding my business since the demand is too high. I accumulate $10 to $12 in profit every day and my appreciation goes to ILO and the Government of Japan,” Abdikadir said with a beaming smile on his face.
Looking back at the Baidoa he left and the one he came to, Abdikadir proudly said, “When I arrived in Baidoa, I found the security situation improving, with a peaceful environment that allows citizens to move freely and engage in developmental activities. This encouraged me to join others who are working to improve their standards of living. With my new business I can take care of my family needs now, make profit, save some money and later re-invest it.”
While in Yemen, Abdikadir learned how to tailor clothes. Since he had no resources to buy his own sewing machine, he worked for someone else. When he went back to Baidoa, Abdikadir desired to own a tailoring shop and earn a living for his family.
| Abdikadir with a finished shirt |
After the training, Abdikadir participated in a business plan competition and he was among other 100 beneficiaries who won grants of $500 each. The beneficiaries also received financial management training. Abdikadir decided to open his own tailoring shop in Baidoa town with the grant he had won fulfilling his longtime dream. He bought two sewing machines and different materials to make shirts, trousers, blouses, t-shirts and other clothing.
“I decided to open a tailoring shop because I learnt the skill when I was in Yemen. Through the ILO, I have received business and entrepreneurship skills and the financial support to complement this. My life has changed for the better since I opened the shop and I have high hope that one day I will become a well-known local producer of domestic cloth. At the moment I have enough customers and am thinking of expanding my business since the demand is too high. I accumulate $10 to $12 in profit every day and my appreciation goes to ILO and the Government of Japan,” Abdikadir said with a beaming smile on his face.
| Abdikadir showcasing his work |
Looking back at the Baidoa he left and the one he came to, Abdikadir proudly said, “When I arrived in Baidoa, I found the security situation improving, with a peaceful environment that allows citizens to move freely and engage in developmental activities. This encouraged me to join others who are working to improve their standards of living. With my new business I can take care of my family needs now, make profit, save some money and later re-invest it.”