Ali Issack | DRC Kenya
Shukria Ibrahim Ali is a 22-year young mother of one child from Girisa location in Mandera North Sub-county. She completed her secondary education in 2016 and has been looking for a job since then. She went through tough times of unemployment since both her parents were elderly and from a poor background. They sell their small goats at time of need to make ends meet. Their main source of income was pastoralism.
When Shukria was asked about her life before and after BORESHA support she said, “I was frustrated for long when looking for jobs using my KCSE certificate. My efforts bore no fruits. I was hoping one day that I would become independent and lead a good and decent life. BORESHA came in to my life at a time when I was at my lowest. I was enrolled to a six-month practical and hands on tailoring course, and this opportunity truly turned my life around.” In addition to the training, Shukria was provided with a sewing machine, fabric and rolls of elastic band. The provision of the items was timely for the production of reusable face masks in order to support her community in the fight against COVID-19. “The current pandemic has ravaged many parts of the world and as the residents of Girisa location we are not immune to it. It is therefore encouraging to have BORESHA keeping us in their thoughts through provision of personal protective equipment in order to fight this pandemic together,” says Shukria.
Shukria finalized her tailoring course a few months ago and she is currently making monthly income of 50 USD – 70 USD. This goes towards catering for the operational cost of her business and she normally puts aside some savings in case of a rainy day. “I would like to thank BORESHA for the support that they have provided me. I am now able to support my family, my elderly parents and my younger siblings,” Shukria added.
Shukria’s business is improving day by day since she was trained on business development skills training which involves book keeping, business plans, basic record keeping skills and more which is offered by the Business Development Centre run by our partner TetraTech.
About BORESHA:
Funded by the European Union Trust Fund for Africa, the Building Opportunities for Resilience in the Horn of Africa (BORESHA) project’s overall objective is to promote economic development and greater resilience, particularly among vulnerable groups in the Cross Border area between Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia.