At just 23, Ruqiyo Hussein Mursal has lived through years of uncertainty shaped by displacement. For seven years, she and her family, including her parents and her three young children, lived in Shabelle Camp in Garowe, Somalia. For Ruqiyo, the greatest challenge was not only poverty, but the constant threat of eviction. Families like hers lived with little protection, often at risk of being removed from the land they depended on without notice.
The impact of legal assistance in Garowe, Somalia
That reality began to shift when Ruqiyo became aware of the housing, land and property (HLP) rights programme implemented by the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC). Ruqiyo gained an understanding of her rights after attending community awareness sessions and receiving targeted legal advice.
For the first time, Ruqiyo learned that eviction must follow legal procedures, including proper notice. She also discovered that she had the right to own land, an idea that had once felt out of reach. With this knowledge came a sense of confidence and control over her future.
When the time came for Shabelle Camp to be vacated, Ruqiyo made a decision that would change her life. Rather than face yet another cycle of displacement, she chose to relocate to land she could call her own. With guidance from NRC’s team, she navigated the legal process of securing land ownership. The programme also provided a relocation grant of USD 50, which was crucial in helping her move her family to their new home.
Today, Ruqiyo stands on land that belongs to her. For the first time in years, the fear of sudden eviction has lifted. Her family now lives with a sense of stability that was once unimaginable.
“NRC’s legal assistance helped us move to land that belongs to us,” she says. “Now no-one can tell us to leave. That is something I never thought possible.”
While she has secured land, the area where she now lives lacks essential services. Access to clean water is limited, and basic facilities such as sanitation, schools and healthcare remain scarce.
Ruqiyo speaks openly about these challenges, calling on humanitarian organisations to support communities like hers.
“Water is the most urgent need,” she says. “Water itself is life.”
Despite these challenges, Ruqiyo’s story reflects a powerful shift from vulnerability to empowerment. She chose land ownership not because it was easy, but because it offered security she had never truly had before.
The HLP project, generously funded by the European Union, supported displaced and vulnerable communities in Garowe, Puntland State of Somalia by providing legal assistance, raising awareness of housing, land, and property rights, and supporting safe relocation.
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