Sun-drying fish, the Somali way
Women learn new skills to fight hunger and help their communities.
A woman walks to the beach to wait for a fishing crew in Puntland, Somalia. Coastal communities are some of Somalia’s most food insecure people. © FAO / Karel Prinsloo
Hawa Mohamed Abdi lives in a camp for displaced people in Bossaso, a coastal town in northern Somalia. The camp - with its rows of corrugated iron shelters along sprawling paths - has been her home for over two decades.
“Here in the camp, we are all poor people,” she says. “Sometimes, we only have one meal per day. Other times, two. To eat three times a day is rare.”
Last year, Hawa joined a group of other women in the camp to learn how to sun-dry fish. The process involves cleaning and treating the fish, drying and packaging it using sustainable and environmentally friendly techniques.
FAO provides the training, all tools and equipment – from knives, protective clothing to drying tables and packaging materials. To date, more than 60 women received training, and by mid-2018, FAO plans to reach another 160 women.
“Before doing this job, I used to work as a porter in the market. My husband still works as a porter. Other people from the camp earn a living pushing handcarts or selling small things in the market. With the little we earn, we can only buy rice and pasta. Mainly rice...We would love to eat other types of food but we can't afford it,” says Hawa.
Now, Hawa and her family can also eat fish. Most of the sun-dried fish is consumed by the people in the camp, providing them with much needed nutrients. Sun-dried fish can last up to six months without requiring storing in a fridge – a luxury in the camp – making it a reliable source of food for longer-term.