Viral video transforms Somali construction worker's life, sparks outpouring support

A Somali mother working at a construction site in Baidoa, central Somalia, had her fortunes multiplied when a video of her harassment went viral. The episode, which occurred on Monday, demonstrates the ability of social media to draw attention to underappreciated issues.

Journalist Abdirahman Kaalito was on his way to cover a football game in a small village in Baidoa when he came upon Fatuma Adan Ali, an elderly woman working at a construction site down the road.

Abdirahman approached the elderly woman, who was performing such challenging work, to learn more about her condition.

During their talk, Fatuma revealed that she was a mother of three struggling to make ends meet. She had no other employment choices and had resorted to working at the building site.

However, before she could finish her sentence, the site manager interfered, pulling her by the shoulder and forcing her back to work.

Despite her shame, Fatuma reluctantly picked up her plastic bucket and resumed her tasks.

Abdirahman, who had been filming the interaction, shared the footage on TikTok. Within hours, the video gained popularity with hundreds of thousands of views; scenes of an elderly mother being bullied while trying to earn a living struck a chord with many, prompting extensive distribution of the video.

By Tuesday early this week, the video had surpassed one million views, with numerous content creators reacting to and boosting Fatuma's tale.

The outpouring of support from the internet community swiftly translated into real-world action.

On Wednesday, well-wishers from several companies arrived at the building site to support Fatuma. They assisted her in obtaining a birth certificate, which she had never had before, and opened a bank account for her at Salam Bank. Donations began to come in, and some contributors even built her a little shop out of iron sheets.

The level of support grew steadily. On Thursday, Dahabshil, a well-known money transfer company, donated Sh 650,000 ($5,000) to Fatuma.

In a matter of days, she went from earning less than Sh 646 ($5 per day) on the building site to owning her own business with several thousand dollars in her bank account.

Fatuma expressed both shock and gratitude as she reflected on the unexpected turn of events.

"I cannot express how happy I am; this exceeds any of my expectations," she stated, frequently breaking down in tears.

When questioned, the manager who had harassed her defended his actions, explaining that he had received reports from her coworkers that Fatuma was not performing her tasks and that he wished to keep her working.