Jobs for vulnerable groups in South Central Somalia

The UNDP-led Employment Generation for Early Recovery (EGER) project seeks to create income and jobs for vulnerable groups such as women, youth, and IDPs and their host communities in South Central Somalia. Prolonged conflict in South Central Somalia has greatly reduced the level of petty trade and other informal sector activities, which mostly women and youth were involved in and which were vital to household income. Reliable data on the recent employment situation in Mogadishu is lacking, but data from the 2002 UNDP/World Bank Socio-economic Survey indicate that urban unemployment in Somalia was 65 percent. It can be assumed that the situation in Mogadishu has deteriorated since then. The UNDP-led Employment Generation for Early Recovery (EGER) project seeks to create income and jobs for vulnerable groups such as women, youth, and IDPs and their host communities in South Central Somalia. Prolonged conflict in South Central Somalia has greatly reduced the level of petty trade and other informal sector activities, which mostly women and youth were involved in and which were vital to household income. Reliable data on the recent employment situation in Mogadishu is lacking, but data from the 2002 UNDP/World Bank Socio-economic Survey indicate that urban unemployment in Somalia was 65 percent. It can be assumed that the situation in Mogadishu has deteriorated since then. The EGER project, which started in October, aims to employ a minimum of 50,000 skilled or unskilled unemployed and underemployed workers from vulnerable groups, 30 percent of whom will be women and 20 percent IDPs. It tackles community needs, with activities ranging from jobs to rehabilitate irrigation systems, collect garbage and improve access roads, to vocational training and microfinance. The first 3 projects under EGER have just started: 369 beneficiaries  (40 percent women) are employed to rehabilitate the Mother and Child Care unit of Benadir Hospital, 2,340 are renovating 152 km of rural access roads in the Middle Shabelle and Hiran regions, and another 1,149 are rehabilitating water catchments in Baidoa. EGER is rooted in the communities: It seeks to build permanent capacities and increased skill levels, empowering local communities and contributing to improved living conditions. All interventions will be implemented through communities in a participatory manner, with a view to support livelihoods, contribute to political and social stability, and promote peace building and reconciliation at the local level. Mogadishu is the project’s main focus, along with the two adjacent districts of Afgooye and Baalad. These districts provide most agricultural and food commodities to the city and also receive the most IDPs from Mogadishu. The project will also initiate activities in Bay/Bakol, Hiran, and Lower and Middle Shabelle. UNDP and ILO jointly implement the EGER project.