Abdillahi Abdi Wayrah, Somalia

01/02/2025

Abdillahi Abdi Wayrah can’t imagine life without his camels. The 64-year-old from Boodhley village in northern Somalia has spent his life raising and herding them – one of the enduring traditions of the Somali way of life.

Somali oral poetry talks frequently of the sacrifices people make for their camels. Bridal dowries used to be paid in camels, and they still are an important payment method for diya, the compensation people pay for wrongs they caused.

“Camels are the most important animals to Somalis – our whole livelihood depends on them,” says Abdillahi. “We drink their milk, we consume their meat, and we sell them for extra income to meet other needs.”  

But being a herder in Somalia comes with challenges. “First, there are droughts,” says Abdillahi, adding that, luckily, “camels are resilient animals - they can adapt to these climate shocks". Still, it means herders have to adapt, too. Communities are proactively harvesting rainwater, for example, and sharing pastures with neighbouring villages.

The other issue, he says, is that more and more pastures are being converted into farms and other land uses.

For these reasons, Abdillahi started producing his own fodder, to reduce the need for constant grazing. With the support of his sons, he cleared his farm to plant sorghum, maize and sesame for feed. His 30-year-old son, Mohamed, participated in training on fodder production, handling and storage and has been spearheading the operation. Along the way, he’s shared his new knowledge with his younger brother, Muhiyadin, who’s 26 and helps look after the family’s camels. 

“I inherited these camels from my father,” says Abdillahi. “And I wish that my son [Muhiyadin] will someday take over and continue the tradition.”

He hopes for broader innovations in camel farming, so the profession remains appealing to new generations.

The government is keen for this too, and young people like Abdillahi’s sons can now sign up for various projects that train them in different ways to build strong livelihoods around camels, from raising them more effectively to marketing high-value fodder. They can also learn how to better manage their resources like pasture and water in face of climate change or become animal health workers to ensure better veterinary care in rural areas.

Abdillahi watches Muhiyadin handle the camels with pride. "He is ready to take over after me.”