Mogadishu man supplying water for 40 years despite loss of sight

A donkey kick rendered Mohamed Adan Anjeh blind at the age of five but that did not deter him from making a living on his own.

Since 1977, Anjeh has been drawing water from a borehole in Mogadishu’s Hamarweyne district for his neighbours at a fee.

When Goobjoog TV visited him in Hamarweyne, Anjeh was doing what he does best on a daily basis-pulling 20 litre jerry cans tied to a rope even though he does not see the borehole and neither the water inside.

“Thought I lost my sight, God has not taken away my knowledge and everything is controlled by the brain.” said Anjeh adding “if someone tells me his name today, I can recall it the next time,” said Anjeh.

For Anjeh, this is what he knows best and dedicates his energy every day. “I normally wake up at 8 am every day and start fetching and delivering water to nearby houses until I meet the demands of all my customers before retiring for the day,” noted Anjeh as he sends the containers down with the rope for another serving.

Anjeh lost three of his only children and now lives alone in Hamarweyne. Instead of begging in the streets, Anjeh says ‘I decided to find myself something I could do to remain independent and this is what I settled for, I did not need sympathies from people,” said Anjeh.

By Ahmedwali Hussein