Bosaso, Puntland – One hundred and fifty women in Bosaso are set to turn their entrepreneurial dreams into reality after completing intensive training under the Saameynta Project, a women’s economic empowerment initiative run by the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) in East and Southern Africa and supported by UNDP Somalia.
The program equipped participants with essential business skills, including financial literacy, market analysis, customer relations, and record-keeping. The aim is to help women start or expand sustainable businesses in a region where economic opportunities are often limited, especially for women.
Soon, each group of trained entrepreneurs will receive a $5,000 grant to kick-start or grow their ventures. This injection of capital is expected to boost livelihoods, create jobs, and stimulate the local economy.
Project coordinators said the Saameynta Project is designed to address structural barriers that limit women’s participation in business. In Puntland, where social and economic inequalities persist, such initiatives are seen as crucial in building resilience and reducing dependency on humanitarian aid.
Community leaders in Bosaso praised the program, noting that empowering women financially strengthens entire households and contributes to community stability.
With training complete and funding on the way, the newly skilled entrepreneurs are now preparing to launch businesses ranging from retail shops and tailoring services to agribusiness and food production. If successful, these enterprises could serve as models for women-led economic transformation in Somalia’s coastal city.