by Ms. Angela Scherbenske

DJIBOUTI CITY, Djibouti, January 1, 2007 – According to Mohamed Mahad, a Djibouti City business owner, the presence of Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa at Camp Lemonier, Djibouti, has had a positive impact on his and other businesses around the city. “I am touched by the impact the American citizens and members of Camp Lemonier have had on my business,” said Mohamed. “I also feel that the members of the Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa have embraced the businesses here in Djibouti and have also had a very beneficial and powerful impact on these businesses.”

Mohamed is not only the general manager of a tailor and seamstress shop in Djibouti City; he is also the head tailor and personally inspects each piece of hand-made clothing from his staff.

According to Mohamed, his tailor shop is the largest in Djibouti. Mohamed’s staff works seven days per week using 25 different types of sewing machines and caters to a wide range of clients from selling their clothing in parts of France to doing contracts for Camp Lemonier.

“My family has been able reach a larger customer base than when my father first opened [the shop]…” said Mohamed. “…we have received some large contracts through Camp Lemonier to do seamstress work for them.”

Mohamed credits his family’s success and the growth of their businesses to a strong work ethic and attention to detail. Those two qualities, according to Mohamed, have allowed the Mahad family to create two thriving and unique businesses in Djibouti. In addition to Mohamed’s tailor shop, his family opened a juice shop in Djibouti in 1998.

“My family’s businesses have been able to grow and expand because of the continued support we have received from all of our customers who come from surrounding African cities, France, Djibouti, and America,’ Mohamed said.

Mohamed’s tailor shop was opened 40 years ago by his father, Mahamoud Mahad. He had, according to Mohamed, a desire to make a better life for his wife and seven children by pursuing his love of making clothing by hand.

“I remember coming into my father’s business when I was a little boy, no more than six years old and watching my father show me how to handcraft from a single piece of material a finished garment,” said Mohamed. “I know that it was because of my father’s diligence in taking the time to instill in me his love for making fine quality clothing that I grew [up] to have a passion to want to become a tailor.”

The mission of CJTF-HOA is to prevent conflict, promote regional stability and protect Coalition interests in order to prevail against extremism. The CJTF-HOA organization began operations at Camp Lemonier, Djibouti May 13, 2003. With the help of many from Djibouti, it works with Partner nations on humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, consequence management, civic action programs to include medical and veterinary care, school and medical clinic construction and water development projects.

Source: CJTF-HOA Strategic Communications