One Earth Future and Shuraako are proud to present the short film “Somali Women Cultivating Sustainable Peace”. The film showcases several female farm owners in the Garowe/Puntland region of Somalia supported through Shuraako’s Nordic Horn of Africa Opportunities Fund.
After decades of hostilities impacted the Somali region’s economy and infrastructure, a new era of economic activity is being ushered in by Somalis’ entrepreneurial spirit, helping to create an environment where peace can thrive.
With an emphasis on women-owned businesses, job creation, work opportunities for youth, and renewable energy, the Nordic Fund marks a historic collaboration between international investors, multinational organizations, and the Somali private sector by providing sharia law-compliant loans to Somali businesses and entrepreneurs.
Women constitute 56.6% of the labor force in Somaliland and Puntland, and tend to work mostly in the agricultural sector. In Puntland, 60% of the economy is based on agriculture. (UNEP 2014)
Sahra, Saynab, Wiilo, Saida, and many other Somali entrepreneurs are creating economic activity with a multiplier effect — generating jobs, enabling role models for future generations, fostering hope, and becoming increasingly powerful voices for more business-friendly governance in the region.
These entrepreneurs and businesses are creating livelihoods and new markets across eleven crucial sectors for the region, including agribusiness, renewable energy, manufacturing & light industry, agribusiness, fishing, water & sanitation, healthcare, hospitality, fishing, transportation, and construction.
In just four years, Shuraako’s Nordic Horn of Africa Opportunities Fund has catalyzed $28 million (USD) for economic development in the region and the Fund continues to grow.
One Earth Future, Shuraako, and its Nordic Fund investors are proud to partner with Somali entrepreneurs and businesses who are working to foster new markets and livelihoods in the region and rebuild their communities as a foundation for sustainable peace.
Shuraako’s Nordic Horn of Africa Opportunities Fund Investment Partners
- Arsenault Family Foundation
- DANIDA (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark)
- European Union
- IFU (Investment Fund for Developing Countries)
- Norfund (Norwegian Investment Fund for Developing Countries)
- Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
To learn more, visit shuraako.org.