Solar cooling helps women milk traders protect their daily income
Sixty women milk traders in Galkacyo received solar-powered refrigerators and food-grade containers in the first phase of a wider rollout.
For a small milk trader, a few hours without reliable cooling can mean losing an entire day’s stock and income. Keeping milk cool and storing it safely are practical business needs.
On August 17, 2026, the Federal Ministry of Livestock, Forestry and Range, alongside the Galmudug Ministry of Livestock, handed over solar-powered milk refrigerators and food-grade storage containers to 60 women milk traders in Galkacyo through HoA DRIVE Somalia.
The equipment is intended to help traders reduce spoilage, protect milk quality and safeguard their daily income. The project update also describes practical training in handling, maintenance and care alongside the equipment.
This is the first cohort in a wider rollout that will reach 1,000 women traders across five Federal Member States. Alongside the new equipment, traders will receive practical training on handling, maintenance, and care, helping reduce spoilage, protect milk quality, and safeguard hard-earned daily income.
This initiative connects directly with DRIVE’s broader work across the livestock value chain: helping women and producer groups strengthen business capacity, formalize associations, expand market access, and secure financial services.
In Somalia’s milk trade, where women form the backbone of the market, meaningful inclusion means investing directly in the businesses they run every day.
