Local economic development boosts family incomes, keeps kids in school

March 1, 2020

Women entrepreneurs push for economic development

A market is the beating heart of any town and a sign of how healthy the local economy is. When the shops are full, things are going well.

So when Gabiley’s women traders asked local government for a new market area to help boost sales, they were quick to respond. 

With a little support from UNDP and the Joint Programme on Local Governance, the new market soon took shape and the town has been bustling ever since.

For Khadra, one of 50 women working in the market, the extra income has helped to keep her grandchildren in school. See how in our latest video:

UN Joint Programme on Local Governance (JPLG)

Working hand-in-hand with local administrations and local people, JPLG improves the way government is run at the city and state levels in all five Member States in order to boost economic development and make communities stronger in the face of conflict, climate disaster and other challenges.

The programme is an initiative from UNDP, UNICEF, UNHABITAT, UNCDF and the ILO, with funding from Denmark, the EU, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK and the US.

For a more detailed overview see: tiny.cc/JPLG

For more on how Gabiley market is brining change, see this photo story: https://www.so.undp.org/content/somalia/en/home/presscenter/articles/2020/new-market-shows-the-power-of-local-governance-in-gabiley--somal.html