“Now there are many customers buying cakes and cookies from me,” says Amina Abdi Muhammad, 32, a Somali refugee and mother of eight. Amina is one of many refugees who received assistance from Church World Service for her cake and cookies business.
Amina first arrived in Jakarta five years ago with her husband and her six children, not as an asylum seeker or refugee. She came with her husband who planned to study business administration while promoting commerce with other Somalians in their hometown who are interested in Indonesian products. The business grew and another two children were born in Jakarta. They lived in a big house in the north of Jakarta.
After her husband graduated, they wanted to go back to Kasabalbalarek, Somalia. However, the conflict in Somalia was getting worse. The district where they used to live had been destroyed. “We wanted to come back home to Kasabalbarek but it’s not safe for my family there,” explains Amina. A couple of her relatives were murdered during the conflict. Her parents, siblings, and the other residents fled their home to Medina, a safer place.
As the conflict in Somalia escalated, things got worse for Amina and her family in Indonesia. Her husband’s business was affected by the conflict because Somalians could not afford the Indonesian products he exported. This turned their income to zero. They couldn’t afford to send their four primary-school-aged children to the Aramaic school they had been attending. “The school fee is US$ 800 a year for one child. There’s no way we can afford it,” tells Amina. Having her husband as the only breadwinner in the family, Amina and her husband struggled to provide for themselves and their eight children in Jakarta, where the living cost is relatively high. She often borrowed money from friends to buy the family daily needs. Shortly later, Amina’s brother moved to Jakarta because he couldn’t stand living in war.
In 2008, she and her eight children applied for and eventually received refugee status from the UNHCR. Her case was referred to Church World Service.
The family participates in CWS activities and her children attend Bahasa Indonesia class in the CWS refugee center in Jakarta. She consistently participates in the monthly cultural gathering CWS holds in Jakarta refugee center.
During one cultural gathering the Somali promoted their culture, including the food and dresses, to others. The women prepared Somali dishes. Amina baked cookies made of coconut and brown sugar. “People liked Somali food,” she says.
CWS encouraged Amina to make more cookies and sell them. “Ms. Sisca of CWS told me that people would pay for these cookies and I should make this a business,” says Amina. Before she bought an oven, she used CWS’ oven in the refugee center to bake the cookies. She started to make more cakes and cookies. Her first customers were CWS and UNHCR staffers. She applied for CWS assistance to support her cookie business, and purchased an oven and ingredients with the 3,500,000 IDR she received.
Amina now bakes the cookies at her house and has more and more customers. She offered the cakes and cookies to her Indonesian neighbors and other Somali refugees. She also brought them to her children’s school. “They like my cookies and cakes,” says Amina proudly. She has many loyal customers. “They usually order more cakes and cookies during Ramadan month and also for Ied Fitr,” she adds.
“I would’ve baked more cookies and sold more if I had more time for my business,” Amina says. She can only cook at night after her children sleep. She has to take care of them during the day. “Sometimes I get sleepy when I’m baking my cookies,” she adds, showing the burn she got from the hot oven.
She doesn’t only do cookies business but also fashion. She would go to Tanah Abang, a local market in Jakarta, to buy some clothes and sell them to her neighbors for credit. “I pay attention to recent fashion trends, so I know what to get when I go to Tanah Abang,” she tells CWS staffer.
“I’m lucky that my husband understands our situation and wants to help me taking care of the kids and the house. It’s not typical of Somali men,” says the woman who often thinks of how she can expand her business before she falls asleep.