Boosteyo Mahamud Shire

Boosteyo Mahamud Shire is a farmer, community leader, and mother who was forced to leave her home when drought wiped out her community's livestock.

"We settled here after moving from the rural areas when drought wiped out all our livestock. We arrived with nothing," said Boosteyo.

Across Somalia, repeated cycles of drought have pushed families like Boosteyo's to move, disrupting livelihoods and forcing people to find new ways to get by. For many women, that has meant carrying both the responsibility of survival and the work of rebuilding.

Over time, Boosteyo became part of a farming cooperative in Garowe, working alongside others and sharing resources to move forward together. With support and steady effort, things started to shift. Life became a bit more stable and more predictable.

Today, Boosteyo supports multiple households through her work. What she earns covers food, school, and daily needs. It's not without challenges — drought, rising prices, and water shortages are still there — but she has something she can rely on and build from. She's gone through emergency support and has been able to become self-reliant, despite the multiple challenges.

In her portrait, Boosteyo chose to be weaving a Somali mat. Traditionally made by women, the mat is used for shelter, for carrying, for everyday life. For her, it also represents the way a life can be rebuilt over time, piece by piece, through effort and cooperation.