From Displacement to Dignity: Fatuma Ahmed Issack’s Journey to a New Home in Grible

Fatuma Ahmed Issack and her family were displaced over a decade ago from southern Somalia due to insecurity and drought. They settled in Boqolka Buush (100 Buush) IDP camp in Bosaso, where they lived for several years under constant fear of eviction as the site was located on land earmarked for port expansion.” 

The relocation was part of the Saameynta Joint Programme, a multi-agency initiative implemented by UN-Habitat, IOM and UNDP, and funded by the Somalia Joint Fund (SJF). In collaboration with local authorities and partners, the programme aims to improve housing and tenure security for displaced families. Through this initiative, 61 houses were built in Grible under an owner-driven model, with UN-Habitat providing technical guidance, financial assistance, and tenure documentation through the Social Tenure Domain Model (STDM). 

Figure 1: Fatuma Mohamed Issack, sharing her relocation story from Boqolka bush to Grible

Building Security and Stability in Grible 

The Saameynta programme provided Fatuma’s family with funds to construct a two-bedroom house with a veranda and toilet. With her husband’s skills as a construction worker, they expanded the house further by adding a third room. 

“We were consulted, and they gave us money for constructing our two-bedroom house with veranda and toilet. It gave us security and dignity.” – Fatuma Ahmed Issack 

Alongside housing, the programme also invested in community infrastructure, including a new medical facility, ensuring that residents not only had shelter but also access to essential services. 

Overcoming New Challenges 

While relocation improved housing security, life in Grible presented new obstacles. The site’s distance from Bosaso limited job opportunities and made transportation costly. This underscores the importance of full integration of IDPs in urban growth planning to facilitate social and economic inclusion. 

“Every day we ask ourselves whether the one dollar we have should be used for my husband to travel for work or to feed my children. We also need better livelihood support and access to adult education programmes, which are missing in Grible.” – Fatuma Ahmed Issack 

Despite these challenges, Fatuma remained determined. Using leftover construction funds, she built a small shop next to her house. Today, she buys meat from Bosaso in the morning and sells it in Grible in the afternoon, securing an income and improving access to goods for her neighbors. 

Empowering Families through Owner-Driven Approaches 

Fatuma’s initiative reflects the programme’s owner-driven approach, which empowered families to decide how best to use their resources. While some families invested in furniture or home improvements, others like Fatuma launched income-generating activities, becoming active agents of change in their communities. 

In total, 61 houses have been built in Grible through this approach, with plans to reach an additional 30 families by 2025. 

Figure 2: Fatuma Mohamed Issack’s shop in Gribble

A Model for Resilient Communities 

The Grible project demonstrates how secure housing and community empowerment can foster resilience. Over 9400 houses have also been mapped in Baidoa and Bosaso through the Social Tenure Domain Model (STDM), strengthening tenure security and providing valuable lessons for scaling up in future phases of Saameynta. 

By combining permanent housing with community participation and sustainable livelihoods, Saameynta continues to offer a pathway toward dignity, resilience, and hope for displaced families like Fatuma’s. 

Figure 3: Current road situation with a view of Grible relocation site 

Figure 4: Newly built houses in Grible