Darfur’s Young Entrepreneurs

Despite significant unemployment rates, many of Darfur’s educated young university graduates are making their way toward business success, fulfilling their ambitions by launching small ventures designed to meet the needs of their communities.

By Mohamad Almahady

Stable jobs offer independence and freedom of choice. Jobs not only provide a sense of pride and accomplishment, but also create the economic security that is a foundation for parenthood and other aspects of responsible adult life. While stable jobs offer hope for a bright future, the business world has been hit in recent years by a massive economic downturn that has forced families globally to tighten their belts. In developing nations, and especially in conflict-torn regions such as Darfur, the economic downturn has had disastrous consequences, compounding the problem of scarce vocational opportunities with staggering inflation rates.

During the past 10 years, when the conflict began in Darfur, unemployment was a serious issue in Sudan. The formation of South Sudan as a separate nation contributed to Sudan’s domestic problems, leading to Government-initiated austerity measures designed to help the country recover more quickly from its financial burdens. These austerity measures have taken their toll on families in Darfur, and especially on the young graduates of Darfur’s university system, many of whom finish advanced degrees but are unable to find gainful employment in this troubled region.

“The number of job seekers exceeds the job opportunities offered every year,” says Ms. Faiza Haroun, the Director of the Labour Office in El Fasher, North Darfur. Ms. Haroun explains that economic and political factors have resulted in an increasing number of job seekers and a decreasing number of employment opportunities. “Economic and political factors are among the main causes of the increase in the number of unemployed people, particularly university graduates,” she says.

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On 27 October 2013 in Nyala, South Darfur, Mr. Mohamed Ishaq is pictured in one of the pharmacies owned by young entrepreneur Mr. Yasir Abdulgadir, a veterinarian who graduated from the Darfur university system. Upon graduation, he found no viable job options in the veterinary world, so he started his own business. He now runs several pharmacies in South Darfur, and is currently expanding his business to the international level. Photo by Hamid Abdulsalam, UNAMID.