Welcome back! It’s our final day in Garowe, Somalia before we head off to our next location. We started yesterday with Fatima H., a small business owner, who operates a small shop out of her house. She earns most of her income as a part-time butcher, and she usually sells a goat or sheep each day. Yesterday, we helped her pick out a goat that she would be able to sell the next day. Today, we’re helping her stock up on some basic items that in her store! We're helping her refill items that she already sells—from soap to spaghetti—and pick out some items she hasn’t been able to offer her customer base yet! With all these fresh offerings, Fatima H. is set up keep doing great business. If you’d like to support doing the doable and making change each and every day, make a donation to fund Changemakers 365.   Meet Sam! Sam developed an interest in forced displacement, food insecurity, and identity while working on her master's degree. She’s now using this … [Read more...] about From Soap to Spaghetti

Hello, hello! It’s our second-to-last day in Garowe, Somalia. We’ve decided to spend these two days with another Fatima, let’s call her Fatima H! Fatima H. supports 15 children—13 are her own biological children, and two others are adopted. Her husband is around, but unfortunately, he has a brain tumor that prohibits him from working much. Most of the time, he works basic jobs on a limited basis. To earn money, Fatima H. is a part time butcher, and each morning she sells a goat or sheep in the market. She keeps plenty busy the rest of the day, and usually spends her afternoons managing a shop that she runs out of her home. There, she sells vegetables and other basic goods like soap, all while taking care of her children. We decided to help Fatima H. with a portion of her work, so went with her to pick out a goat. Now, she’s ready for her next morning at the market! If you’d like to support doing the doable and making change each and every day, make a donation to fund … [Read more...] about Market Ready

Hello again from Garowe, a city in the Northeastern region of Somalia. We’re spending a few days here, helping small shop owners around the city stretch their resources further to grow their businesses! We’ve so far met Halimo, Hamdi and Fatima, who have expressed some similar needs, especially when it comes to diversifying their shop offerings. As a part of this, both Fatima and Hamdi mentioned wanting a refrigerator that would make it possible to offer chilled foods and beverages to their customers. This is a big step up, and offers a competitive edge in a place where many shops don’t have this luxury. So we decided to take both Fatima and Hamdi out to pick out fridges! After evaluating the options, they both settled on the same one. Right away, they each took their fridges back to their shops to get this new era of their businesses started. If you’d like to support doing the doable and making change each and every day, make a donation to fund Changemakers 365. … [Read more...] about Chilling Out

When it comes to shopping, there’s nothing quite like great customer service. So today in Garowe, we’re helping one small business owner provide her customers a better way to buy. We’re spending today getting to know Fatima. She runs a shop like Halimo’s, where she sells basic items in a small stand to support her family. These days, she’s the sole provider, as her husband recently passed away. Still, she works hard to look after for her 12 children, both young and old. Fatima had lots of similar ideas for improving her business as Halimo and Hamdi, but she also had one specific wish: plastic chairs. Though plastic chairs might not be the most obvious store improvement, they’re crucial for upping customer service on long, hot days. Now, Fatima is free to sit and visit with her customers while everyone stays cool and comfortable. So, we purchased some chairs and other staples that will help give Fatima’s shop a boost! Now that everyone can sit easily, the business will … [Read more...] about Customer Comfort

Business is booming in Garowe, so we’re back spending the day with another small business owner! Today, we're with Hamdi, a shop owner who sells used clothing. Hamdi he has a big family--ten children, plus herself and her husband. After an injury during the war, Hamdi’s husband was left paralyzed, so now Hamdi is the family’s sole breadwinner. When we spoke with Hamdi, she expressed a desire to expand her store’s offerings beyond clothing. Right now, she sells a lot of used clothing, but she isn’t able to make much money this way. She knows that there are larger profit margins with other basics, like food, in her neighborhood. So, we decided to take Hamdi out to a store where she could buy food items in bulk! Right away, she brought them back to her neighborhood to sell, and business has never been better! If you’d like to support doing the doable and making change each and every day, make a donation to fund Changemakers 365.   Meet Sam! Sam … [Read more...] about Stock Options

We’ve finished up with the farmers in Garowe, but we’re sticking around town to work with some small business owners. Our first stop is at a shop owned by a woman named Halimo. The business is small yet mighty, and she carries all the basics like gum, band aids, and laundry detergent packets. Halimo works long, hard days, but thankfully her stand is close to a few others, each owned by women who keep her company during the day. Halimo moved to Garowe from Mogadishu about 20 years ago after the war broke out. She doesn’t have any family up here, no children of her own, and she’s divorced. But with her shop, she’s found herself a community that looks out for each other. When we spoke with Halimo about her needs, she mentioned all the basics. She wanted some food and clothing for herself, and then expressed a desire to bolster her store stock. So, we took Halimo out shopping for some clothes and some food items. Now, she’s feeling a little more financially secure in her … [Read more...] about Good Things in Store

Welcome back to another day in Garowe, Somalia, where we’re busy working with a local farming association. Yesterday, we started our time with the farmers by identifying some of their major needs, focusing mostly on the need for water. Today, we’re building on this! After fixing up the water systems, the need that came up most was simply the need for basic tools—wheelbarrows, shovels, hoes, axes, shears, plastic sheeting. So that’s exactly what we focused on! We took two of the association’s elders to the market, and found the best tools that our money could buy, knowing that these two men would know the best place to get the items that would really meet the needs of these farmers. If you’d like to support doing the doable and making change each and every day, make a donation to fund Changemakers 365.   Meet Sam! Sam developed an interest in forced displacement, food insecurity, and identity while working on her master's degree. She’s now using this … [Read more...] about All the Right Tools

Hello, hello! Welcome to Garowe, where we will be spending the next few days. Garowe is both the capital of Somalia’s Nugaal region and administrative capital of the state of Puntland in Northeastern Somalia. Garowe is a relatively small city surrounded by small farms. We thought this would be the perfect opportunity to work with some farmers who live not too far from our offices. We started our stay in Garowe by meeting with two men from the local farming union association, Hassan and Abdi. Hassan told us a bit more about the background of the organization and farming in the region. “As soon as the fighting started in the South in 1991, people started coming back to Puntland, a region that many of us consider to be the breadbasket of Somalia. We saw that there were farmers sporadically, but no way that they were really brought together, so we decided to start the union in 1996. Since then, we’ve been able to connect farmers to trainings and other resources.” Hassan and … [Read more...] about Pumped Up

It’s our fourth and final day in Salaxley. The people of Salaxley have been through a lot, but in our time visiting, they have been so open and welcoming. We’re spending our last day with Asad. Asad is a 45-year-old father of six who has been a farmer for as long as he can remember. Before the drought, the farming market was strong in the region. His whole livelihood was based around farming, and he was proud to sell the foods he was able to produce. He felt able to stand out in the community. But for the past couple of years, life has been particularly tough. With the ongoing drought, he struggles to provide for his family. And despite the recent substantial rainfall, which damaged part of his home and farm, he remains hopeful. And a set of new goats are helping! After every hardship, he believes joy will follow. Asad told us, “it feels surreal that an individual like myself would receive four goats, and I am so grateful for all you have done to support me.” If … [Read more...] about Here We Goat Again

Hello, hello! It’s our third day in Salaxley, an IDP camp just outside of Hargeisa, Somalia. Even though the residents of Salaxley have been through many hardships, we’ve seen so much abundance and generosity throughout our time here. Today, we’re with Cusub Abdi, a 56-year-old farmer living in the camp. As she told us, “working on the farm reminds me of my father. I used to help him, and he taught me everything I know. Life was beautiful before the famine. All of the skills my father taught me meant that I was able to provide for my family.” But after losing all of her livestock, she had no choice but to move around to the nearest pastoral areas to find a better life for her family. Cusub and her family were forced to move from place to place, but she finally feels like she can call Salaxley home. “I had over 200 goats and sheep, but after the famine, I lost all of them,” she explained. But these new goats for Cusab Abdi signal a new hope. “Even though I lost everything,” … [Read more...] about A New Hope