From a very young age, Hamdi’s passion for learning new crafts and exploring innovative ideas set her apart from her peers. When she joined NoFYL’s tie and dye skills training at the women and girls’ safe space in Belet-Xaawo, Hamdi exhibited an insatiable thirst for knowledge. When we met her, she was focused intently as she folds a piece of fabric spread out before her. She soaks it in a mixture of salt, hot water and dye for a few hours and, after rinsing it, reveals a beautifully patterned cloth that she hangs out to dry.

“I am very happy to have been given the opportunity to acquire this useful skill,” says Hamdi Hassan, a mother of five children from Tulla Amin site in Belet-Xaawo. As we spoke more with her and saw her excitement and dedication, it became clear to us that tie-dying was both a skill and a passion she needed.

Last year, Hamdi could only imagine doing what she is doing today. Her family’s displacement from Ceelwaq to Belet-Xaawo marked the beginning of a new chapter in her life. Leaving her community behind, she embarked on a journey filled with challenges and opportunities. Displacement into a new society brought about numerous changes, requiring Hamdi and her young family to adapt.

However, settling in Belet-Xaawo was not easy. Besides adjusting to a new environment with limited opportunities, Hamdi quickly realized that she needed a job to help her take care of her three daughters and two sons. Through interactions with women at the NoFYL-managed women and girls’ safe space, she slowly began to forge connections. The safe space played a crucial role in helping her integrate into her new community.  Her selection for the skills training was conducted through focus group discussions and with support from the community leaders.

With support from UNICEF Somalia, Northern Frontier Youth League (NoFYL) provided tie and dye skills training to 60 women and girls in Bardheere & Belet-Xaawo districts. The six-month training began in February 2024 and aimed to give participants life-changing and income-generating skills. NoFYL also distributed startup kits at the end of the training period to help the trainees start their own businesses and achieve self-sufficiency. As Hamdi began honing her skills in tie-dying, she transformed her training into a thriving business venture.

Tye-dyeing is a manual method of producing patterns on textiles. It involves tying portions of the fabric so they do not absorb the dye. The process involves folding, twisting, pleating, or crumpling fabrics, binding them with string, and then applying dye, forming unique patterns of color.

“One day, when I was wearing one of my tie-dye dresses, my friend asked if I could make one for her… and that’s pretty much where it all started,” Hamdi shared. “People really like this stuff, so there’s definitely a market. It’s a great way to make quick money, because you can work from your home,”

Now, with her newfound skills, Hamdi sees a brighter future ahead. She started her own business and now runs a busy workshop, making beautiful garments that she sells both from her home and in the local market. She sells her designed fabrics for between US$8 and US$10 each, making a good profit. In addition to garments, Hamdi also creates stunning bedsheets from the fabrics she tie-dyes, which she sells for US$15 each, earning a good profit, she says.

“I never imagined I would be running my own business and earning a steady income to support my children; it is an extraordinary happiness.” Hamdi said. With support from NoFYL, she now runs a business and is uplifting her life independently.

However, despite her success, Hamdi faces a significant challenge: she lacks a sewing machine to tailor the clothes she makes. As a result, she has to rely on an outside tailor to turn the fabric into finished garments, which adds extra costs. Not only does she have to pay the tailor, but she also incurs transportation fees to travel back and forth, eating into the profit she makes from the tie-dyed fabrics. Hamdi believes that combining tie-dyeing and tailoring training would greatly benefit women like her, allowing them to increase their profit margins by producing and finishing the garments themselves.

Overtime, her small business began to flourish. From her friends to her neighbors and the NoFYL staff, many people bought something colorful from Hamdi.

“Supporting my family brings me honor and pride, especially knowing that before we struggled to meet the basic needs such as food and medicine,” says Hamdi, while hanging another fabric to dry after tie-dying at home. “I can now afford three meals a day, pay rent and send my eldest son to school.”

Her unique patterns garnered recognition from her community and she became a source of inspiration to other women in her displacement site. Hamdi now invites other women from her community to her home whenever she works on tie-dying, encouraging them to observe and learn from the process. This has become an informal form of training.

“Teaching others how to tie-dye makes me feel proud, I am very happy that I can do something for my community,” she said. However, she mentioned that challenge arise when, after the training, the women lack the startup kits or capital needed to leverage the skills they have acquired.

NoFYL’s case worker, Nasra Farah, who regularly visited the trainees and has been closely following the training over the six months, had this to say:

“Most displaced women do not have the right skills to get gainful employment. Economic empowerment is an effective way to support survivors of GBV and help them rebuild their lives. By providing skills and resources for income generation, it not only helps survivors become financially independent but also reduces their vulnerability and open doors for income-generating prospects. This kind of support plays a crucial role in promoting resilience and long-term recovery for survivors.”

Through the tie and dye skills training, Hamdi’s optimism was rekindled. She has found success, and sense of belonging for the first time in her life. She is able to not only provide for her family but also serve as an inspiration to other women at her displacement site. While men bore the heavy burden of labor to support their families, today, Hamdi’s dedication and hard work have brought financial stability to her own family.

Hamdi’s Photos: