Somali farmers benefit from al-Shabab reforms »
In Somalia’s breadbasket, many welcome al-Shabab’s move to expel foreign aid groups and build canals.
Regardless of al-Shabab’s motives for banning NGOs and building canals, many locals have welcomed the developments. "Before, I was a beggar. Now what I produce with my two hands in my farm is sold in the markets of Mogadishu. God sent us al-Shabab to chase [out] the NGOs,“ said Qarawi, the sesame farmer.