About the project

Now you can listen about the project and its update here.

During May and June, I have been in the United Kingdom and interviewed many Somali business owners in this project. 

I have got plenty ideas and perspectives after this fieldwork. So I am sharing here some pictures of the interviews.

Thanks to Kamprad Stiftelse for financing this project. 

Cafeteria Owner in Birmingham

Garment Shop Owners

A view of Birmingham, Small Heath - a quarter of plenty Somali businesses

Different ethnicities go along each other in Small Heath

Special clothes you may not find somewhere else

A garment/clothes shop in Leicester

A shop semi-closed during Ramadan.  I had to crawl under to find people

St Matthews in Leicester, where you may find Somali business owners

Different Somali shops in St Matthews, especially a popular Somali Cafeteria with specialties from Somalia (with a Swedish taste)

The Somali Community Organisation in Leceister

Social engagement

The creation of a kindergarten in the Somali Community Organisation

View of the streets in Leicester

Different Somali shops in Leicester

A technician living in Holland that moved to the UK and started a technical shop

Different ethnicities coming in the shop

Many clothes and garment but also perfume shops

Even taxi companies you may find in Leicester

A Swedish-Somali Cafe in Leicester

A Swedish-Somali shop in Leicester

Living more than 15 years in Sweden before moving to the UK and starting a shop

A Money exchange and taxi business owner in Leicester

In London, co-existing shops share rental fees

A Somali accountant helps other stores around

Somali restaurant in London

The view of the street

Yesterday, I carried out a seminar together with prof. Benny Carlson at Global Political Studies, KS, Malmö University. We presented our project and got lots of interesting feedbacks. Thanks everyone who showed up at the seminar.

besök från Zaki - Svalöv

En liten butik öppnades i Svalöv för 1,5 år sedan. Nu börjar affären gå bättre och bättre.
Jag har träffat och intervjuat grundare,

Dhiin, Zakis grundare i Svalöv

Medarbetare i SIBC - Somali Information och business center

What has happened until now?

I have been engaged and active with this project since November 2015. 

Prof Benny Carlson and Tobias Schölin have travelled to the USA and interviewed many entrepreneurs. They have written a paper about their experience. 

I have been collecting data from field interviews with Somali entrepreneurs in Sweden, as well as organising interviews that have already been done - a total of 55 interviews. 

In these interviews, I have been collecting data about entrepreneurs' background, education, professional experience, difficulties, motivations, life story etc. 

Somali store in Växjö

Somali Finance business  

Macken - an oil station that became a joint-company to help others to start companies or sell their work

Inside view of another store

Another store in a house building

A closed store during open hours

Much snow that day