By Goth Mohamed Goth
In this age of technology and innovation one can’t afford to be left behind this is the case with water vendors in Hargeisa who are now shifting at a very rapid pace from the usual reliance on donkeys to more conventional and cheap mode of transport which come inform of water tricycles.
Mr. Hussein Aden Daud, a water tricycle operator gave “Dawan Newspaper “the interview on the topic because of his experience which spans almost a decade and half working as a water vendor using his donkey drawn cart to sell water to homes in areas which get little water and those without the water connections in the city of Hargeisa.
Since I bought the water tricycle business for me has never been the same again I have managed to save some money for my children’s education because my business is now cost-effective and my expense is much more less than before now that I have no animal to fed
only uses 4 liters of fuel and is equipped with a 400 liter tanker or equivalent to 2 barrels some three months ago, and the tanker is more hygienic and through the extra trips I make every day and the fact more customers are willing to buy water because of the cheaper prices which tricycle riders charge their customers to the price of 1 barrel which we 9000 SL/Sh and the 12.000 SL/Sh donkey drawn carts charge per barrel.
Over the past two decades, IDPs and rural urban migrants have drastically inflated the population and the ever expanding poor settlements where connection to tap water does not exist, local water vendors play a central role in water distribution. Water vendors cover between 95-98% of water distribution to households, with the remaining 2-5% of households fetching water themselves.
Until lately, Tanker drivers in Hargeisa made all the money when it comes to the water business; commuting between the water points where they buy water cheaply and these communities to supply water to individual homes. The trend seems however appears to be changing at a rapid pace, with tricycle riders now becoming the preferred choice of water distribution as their rates are lower.
Mr. Hussein Aden Daud Aka Fanah life has changed for the better due to his water business which for now appears to more lucrative had this message for his friends although most of us desire for greater opportunities, this ‘JOB’ for the time being, is a stepping stone, we hope to diligently manage until that time comes.
SomalilandPress.com
Do the people of Hargeisa, know that the more they uses this kind of transportations to fetch water for them the damages it causes to the environment and the air they breath?
The government is in the process of building better systems to transport water so in the meantime folks gotta do what they gotta do
Good and timely idea, what I like About Somalilanders is creativity and pure innovation. Now you will this spreads like a wild fire all over Horn of Africa…
It is creative idea to use these type of tranport, but we need water, water should be our government's top agenda.
all effort and energy should have been on water in hargeisa kulmiye missed a big opportunity on this pressing need.all money and taxes coming in should have solved the problem.10 $ a month in water area and 150 $ a month in no water area who to vote for?
This practise shows that we lack craetivity, ingenuity or vision. The human materiel has been so depleted by 30 years tied to the malevolent corpse of Somalila and 30 more years of international embargo.
How on earth can we justfiy that an imported tricycle, powered by imported diesel which can carry about 20 gallons of water at a time is the best solution to water transporattion in a large city like Hargeisa? This must rank as one of the most expensive and most inefficient ways of water tarnsporation in the world.
Why dont they use donkeys, mules or even better, those disgusting beasts that we cherish so much yet make hardly any use of the camel?
It can carry 20 times as much water and after intial investment of about $1000 including training to pull carst, much cheaper to run and maintain.