SUCCESS STORIES 1 Sow a thought, reap an action; sow an action, reap a habit; sow a habit, TRANSITION AND RECOVERY UNIT, IOM IRAQ reap a character; sow a character, reap a destiny.

Stephen R. Covey Disclaimer Stories

Fatima’s Story 8 The opinions expressed in the booklet are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The designations employed and the presentation of material Hussein’s Story 14 throughout the report do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of IOM concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning its frontiers or boundaries. Raed’s Story 18

IOM is committed to the principle that humane and orderly migration benefits migrants and society. As an Ahmed’s Story 22 intergovernmental organization, IOM acts with its partners in the international community to assist in meeting the operational challenges of migration, advance understanding of migration issues, encourage social and economic development through migration and uphold the human dignity and well-being of migrants. Pishdar’s Bakery Story 26

Mahmoud’s Story 32 Written, Designed and Photographed by: The International Organization for Migration—Iraq Mission © IOM Iraq 2018 Nagham’s Story 38

Hasan’s Story 40 International Organization for Migration (IOM) Email: [email protected] | Web: www.iomiraq.net Baghdad Main Office D2 UNAMI Compound Green Zone, Baghdad, Iraq Amina’s Story 44 Tel: +390831 05 2965 Auday’s Story 48 Gulan Street, next to the Hungarian Consulate, Erbil, Iraq Tel: +9647512342550 Hamdia’s Story 50 Basrah Office Baradiah, No.29/16/10, Basrah, Iraq | Tel: +964 780 941 8586 Mokhaibar’s Story 52

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior written Ikhlas’ Story 54 permission of the publisher. Abdul Bari’s Story 56 Foreword Community Transition and Recovery Programme Accumulated figures 2007-2017 Continuing IOM’s 65-year global legacy, the Iraq Mission provides displaced Iraqis, returnees and host community members with a wide range of services, including emergency humanitarian assistance and livelihoods support.

To celebrate the success of its livelihoods beneficiaries, IOM collected these success stories from across Iraq, representing more than five years of programme implementation. The stories share the bold steps that displaced Iraqis and Syrian refugees have taken to improve their lives, providing inspiration for humanitarians as well as displaced people who struggle with similar challenges.

Through two of the three pillars of the Transition and Recovery Unit – the Community 47,717 342 68,052 Revitalization Programme and Regional Refugee Resilience Plan – IOM Iraq has directly assisted Iraqis received Projects for the construction Non-food items individual assistance distributed thousands of Iraqis and Syrian refugees throughout times of relative stability and also during times and rehabilitation of of turmoil. infrastructure

The programme’s people-centered approach ensures that the dynamic and fluctuating nature of livelihoods is reflected in its activities. Services ranging from job placement, business support services, and vocational training enable adapting assistance to meet individual needs.

IOM uses a collaborative approach when assessing communities to better understand and address their needs and challenges. This strategy has guided livelihoods interventions, enabling beneficiaries to excel in their businesses, raise their profiles in their communities and develop the More than means to support their families. 51 136,226 250 Social cohesion groups Transportation services communities reached established - 1,184 provided participants Transition and Recovery Unit, IOM Iraq.

6 7 Fatima’s Story

The Kubba Chef I have Fatima is an internally displaced person (IDP) from Mosul. She is 46 years old and a mother of eight children - five girls and three boys. Two of her children spent my are married and live on their own, while Fatima and her husband, who is physically disabled, live with their remaining six children in a rented house in the Etit sub- whole life district of Dohuk Governorate. Immediately after Fatima got married she moved with forcibly her husband to Baghdad in search for a better life. Even then, Fatima was the one who provided for her family. When her family was still in Baghdad, Fatima started moving working in a kubba (traditional Iraqi food) factory, and ten years later she started her own kubba-making business next to her house. from one “I have spent my whole life forcibly moving from one place to the other. During the Iran – Kuwait war in 1990, we fled to Baharka Camp (Erbil) in the Kurdistan place to Region of Iraq (KRI). Life was very hard in the camp, as we were seven families in one small tent. After a horrible year in the camp, we decided to return to the other. Baghdad but our house, along with my business, had been looted,” Fatima said.

8 9 Once again Fatima was jobless, and in 1996, the family moved to Mosul where she found work in a kubba- making factory. She worked there for five years but received threats because she was a working woman. This forced Fatima to leave her job and stay at home. In 2012, the family fled Mosul for the KRI after receiving threats from an unknown group. They arrived empty- handed and initially stayed in an unfinished building for a year, after which they managed to rent a house in Etit.

By that time, IOM was rolling out a livelihood programme to support skilled and vulnerable individuals like Fatima, and she was selected as one of IOM’s beneficiaries to start her own business.

Thanks to IOM’s support, Fatima is now not only able to support her family, but can also send her children to Dohuk’s High School and pay for her husband’s medical needs. “I am so happy that I can support my family and fulfil most of their needs. The best thing is our new house. I had some savings from the sale of our house in Mosul but they were not sufficient to buy a new one. Now, two years after starting my own business, I have been able to buy a small house in Etit district and we will be moving soon,” says Fatima. She added that she is grateful to IOM for supporting women like her, who single-handedly support their families.

10 11 I am so happy that I can support my family; two years after starting my own business, I have been able to buy a small house.

12 13 Hussein’s Story

The Grocer

Hussein is a 38-year-old father of seven children. In 2008, he was displaced from his hometown, Kirkuk, where he was a taxi driver, because of the sectarian violence that hit the city.

Hussein did not know where to go, he just wanted to leave and protect his children; he ended up in Nassiriyah, where he rented a small house.

He then started looking for a job and became a daily In cooperation with the Ministry of Displacement and paid bus driver. But with his meager wage, he was Migration, Thi-Qar office, and the Mukhtar of Nassiriyah, unable to send his two daughters to school; he could beneficiaries were selected and enrolled in Business only afford the family’s daily food. He kept looking for Development training courses. a better paid job but was not able to find one. Hussein obtained a grant package to rent a grocery It was then that IOM through the Community shop in the industrial area, in a good location. He also Management Team in Nassiriyah conducted an borrowed some money to buy additional goods for his assessment in the industrial housing area to identify shop. A few months later Hussein was able to pay back needs and carry out much-needed projects to restore his loan and generate enough income to live in dignity and enhance livelihoods. and send his daughters to school. “I would like to thank IOM for giving me back the financial stability I needed, and helping me to live decently and rely on myself to sustain my family,” Hussein said.

14 15 I did not know where to go, I just wanted my children to survive.

16 17 Raed’s Story

The Barber

For Raed, 3 August 2014 marked a turning point in his life, just as it did for many Yazidis. Raed, a 45-year- old from Bashiqa, used to have a grocery shop and an olive grove. But when ISIL occupied Bashiqa that day, he lost everything he had ever owned. Shortly afterwards, ISIL kidnapped him for nine days until his family paid a USD 50,000 ransom to free him.

He had to quickly displace with his wife and five children to Shaqlawa and then to Shikhan, where he had relatives. There, he rented a house and started looking for a job, to no avail; but when he received a cash grant of 1 million Iraqi Dinars (USD 850) from the Iraqi Government, he decided to put it to good use: he looked for a training centre to become a barber, and enrolled in a two-week barbering training in Erbil.

My work is my However, even with his newly acquired skills, Raed could not find a job until he registered with Shikhan’s passion and my soul’s council and was thus able to access IOM’s assistance. medication... I do not feel well if I do not work.

18 19 Raed received a Business Support Package so he could open the barbering shop his friend left him before emigrating. He makes a good living and can provide for his family’s needs, earning up to 700,000 Iraqi dinars a month (close to USD 600).

Despite his hand injury –he had to have his fingers amputated 15 years ago following an accident– Raed loves his job and is good at it. “My work is my passion and my soul’s medication… I do not feel well if I do not work,” says Raed. “IOM has given me what I have been wishing for; the assistance package was my salvation,” he adds.

Raed does not need anyone to help him and he can pay for his children’s school fees and for his eldest daughter, Sara, to attend university and pursue a degree in Psychology.

20 21 Ahmed’s Story

The Retailer

Ahmed used to work in an oil field in Fallujah, as a drilling assistant. He got married in 2013, finally fulfilling his dream of starting a family and living in his own house. When his wife became pregnant, Ahmed was over the moon and would work for nine hours a day to provide for the family and prepare for the birth of his first child. But when his hometown became a warzone in 2014, his life was turned upside down.

His dream life became a nightmare and Ahmed and his wife had to leave their house in search for a safe haven. They left everything behind, taking only a suitcase of what most mattered to them. They travelled for three days and arrived at Shaqlawa, where Ahmed had no relatives, connections or work opportunities.

Things got difficult for Ahmed and his wife, and he finally decided to visit Shaqlawa’s mukhtar to apply for IOM’s assistance. Shortly after, IOM visited Ahmed in his improvised shelter.

IOM staff explained that he could apply for a Business Support Package under the Community

22 23 Revitalization Programme (CRP), as long as he had a business project. Ahmed followed a five-day Business Development Service training, and a few weeks later he received a grocery Business Support Package; Ahmed was extremely pleased with it, as it included everything he needed to start his business. He could already see himself in his shop, selling candies to wide-eyed children.

When IOM visited Ahmed again, they found a hopeful and happy man, who had already become a proud father. Ahmed later further expanded his business and was able to move from his improvised shelter to a proper accommodation. “I am so thankful to IOM for having changed my life when I most needed help. I now have two children and can provide for my family with my income. I will never forget what IOM did,” says Ahmed.

24 25 Pishdar’s Bakery Story

The Breadmakers

On the outskirts of Erbil lies a town of 25,000 people, Shaqlawa, home to roughly 26,000 internally displaced Iraqis and 3,000 Syrian refugees. Despite the unprecedented influx of IDPs and refugees, which has more than doubled the town’s population, they all get along well.

In August 2016, IOM supported a group of six women from the local and displaced population, to open a (Tirê/Saj bread) bakery. “I had no job but I had always wanted to work,” said Gula Hamad, a mother of seven and the bakery’s manager. Gula led a group of women who received a Business Support Package in baking: “I formed a group of six women from my neighborhood. All of them were jobless like me, including Shaima, my neighbor who is from Fallujah,” said Gula. “Thank God, the business is doing very well and we have been successful,” said the women in unison. Today the business generates USD 200 a month for each woman.

Shaima, a mother of two and one of the bakers, is from Fallujah, Anbar Governorate. She had to displace from her hometown in 2014 when ISIL entered the city. Shaima is now the breadwinner of her family. “I lost everything when we displaced, but I chose to work and start a new life. Crying would not get me anywhere,” she said.

26 27 I lost everything after displacement, but I chose to work and start a new life. Crying would not get me anywhere.

Shaima

28 29 “When we started this bakery, it was like becoming alive again; I am so happy I can rely on a full-time job to support my family, including my father and mother who are old and cannot work,” said Shaima. “Every time I receive my salary I ask my mother about what we need; I get our daily needs and I am even able to buy my children clothes and make them smile. I have suffered a lot in my life and don’t want my children to see what I have seen. I also pay for my father’s medications,” added Shaima, who urges women in her situation not to give up: “I would like to call on all the women who were forcibly displaced not to lose hope and to keep searching for opportunities, because there is always a way out.”

When asked about the secret behind their success in a competitive and male-dominated business, Gula said: “It has to do with our product; although there are many bakeries in Shaqlawa, none prepares this type of bread. We knew there was a demand for it and were able to enter the business easily.”

This is the first female-headed project in Shaqlawa; “At the beginning it was challenging, as it is often difficult for women to start a business in our societies, but I think if there is a strong will and determination, women can lead and succeed. There should be no difference between men and women, they should support each other,” Gula says.

30 31 Mahmoud’s Story

The Tyre Mender

Mahmoud was a hard-working farmer back in Haweeja, Kirkuk. He had a big family –two wives and 13 children– but he spared no effort to provide them with all they needed.

When ISIL took over his village, Mahmoud, who is in his forties, decided to leave everything behind and flee with his 16 family members. They left just after sunset and walked for 12 hours through dangerous roads contaminated with landmines. When a heavy exchange of fire started between ISIL and the Iraqi Army, the family had to hide in the bushes and tell the children not to cry so they could not be heard.

They finally reached safety and were assisted by the Iraqi forces. Mahmoud had taken some money with him, and it was enough to pay rent for a few months in Hay Al Orubah neighborhood, but he had nothing else: no belongings, furniture, clothes, or job. When IOM visited him, Mahmoud was hopeful that his situation would improve.

He of course could not become a farmer again, as he was now in the city and owned no land; he thus decided to become a tyre mender, as he had experience in this field. He received additional support from IOM under the Community Revitalization Programme (CRP IV) and was granted a Business Support Package.

32 33 I had been praying for help. I have a big fam- ily and ran out of money, and I could not even buy my children decent clothes to protect them from the cold.

34 35 When IOM staff visited Mahmoud shortly afterwards, he looked happy and was smiling. “I had been praying for help.

I have a big family and ran out of money, and I could not even buy my children decent clothes to protect them from the cold,” Mahmoud said. “When I followed the training, I met many other IDPs who were in the same situation but were hopeful thanks to IOM.

I will never forget the day I received my business package. I could not sleep. My 12-year-old asked me if he could go back to school now that I would have an income.

I rented a shop and started my business right away. Thanks to IOM’s help, my children are back to school and I can buy my family what they need. My family is happy again, and this had not happened in a long, long time,” Mahmoud said. “Providing work to those who are unemployed can be a blessing for those who appreciate it. Work is honorable, but having no job is humiliating,” he added.

36 37 Nagham’s Story

The Hairdresser

Nagham is a 39-year-old IDP from Salah al-Din. Her village is still under the control of armed groups. She has three young daughters (all under eight years old) and lives with her husband, who has two other wives and is unemployed.

When ISIL took control of Zouia, Nagham’s village, the family was forced to move out, leaving everything behind. They first displaced to Erbil and then to Tikrit city, when the city was retaken. Their financial situation was precarious, as they had lost everything they ever owned and had no income. For a while they had to borrow money from relatives to survive.

In 2016, Nagham registered in the Community Revitalization Programme (CRP V) with the help of IOM’s team in Salah al-Din. She followed a two- week training course on hairdressing and received a business package to help her open a simple hairdressing salon. Shortly afterwards her business was thriving, thanks to the skills acquired during the Business Development Service training.

“IOM’s team in Salah al-Din are the reason I succeeded. They were always available to answer my questions and followed up my steps as I was establishing the business and making it grow,” Nagham said. With her income, she is planning to live in a separate house and take care of her daughters’ needs by herself.

38 39 Hasan’s Story

The Transporter

On 27 November 2007, Hasan, a father of four, was displaced from Diyala. He used to work with his brothers in a mobile blacksmithing business and lived in a big house with his family. In 2006, three of his brothers were killed in the violence that followed the Samarra Imam Askari explosion.

“I couldn’t stay there anymore, especially when sectarian violence became widespread,” Hasan said. “I moved to Baghdad with an old motorbike trailer and used it as a transportation service. When IOM staff interviewed me, I asked for a new bike, as this is something that I have been doing for eight years now,” he added.

After the death of his brothers, Hasan became the caretaker of their families. Despite their tight financial situation, Hasan did not want his children to stop attending school. “I want them to get an education and get farther in life than I did,” he said.

Hasan is aware that he needs to get involved in improving his business to continue benefitting from IOM’s assistance. With the help of one of his surviving brothers, he improved his bike by installing seats at the back, so his passengers are more comfortable.

40 41 I want my children to get an education and get farther in

“This motorbike is a sustainable business project. People need to get to places and the bike has been adapted for the streets in this area. It has become my family’s safety net and I am life than I now able to provide for them thanks to this bike,” he added. Hasan does regular maintenance work on his bike and recently replaced the old engine with a more powerful one, which he needed because most streets are unpaved and in bad conditions. did. “I am aware that there is competition from other motorbike transportation drivers, but we all agreed to register in a list to take turns in transporting passengers. I am just happy that I am still able to take care of my family, and I am grateful that IOM selected me as a beneficiary. This bike is allowing me to provide for our daily needs,” Hasan said.

42 43 Amina’s Story

The Dairy Farmer

Amina is 45 years old and a mother of four children aged from 8 to 25 years. Her husband, Kadhim, works as a blacksmith in the community. In 1991, Amina’s family were forcibly displaced from their home village by the ruling regime at the time, and lived in the city until they decided to go back to their village in 2008.

For as long as she remembers, Amina has worked as a farmer and raised cattle. When IOM help arrived in her community, she opted to undergo Farming Training as she wanted to be a business owner and open her own dairy shop. However, Amina was financially vulnerable and was therefore unable to follow through with her plans. This was until IOM’s help arrived.

In 2015, Amina was one of the beneficiaries selected by IOM under the Community Revitalization Programme (CRP) and she received two heads of cattle at the end of the training. Every success story starts with the willingness to succeed, the strength to keep going and the passion about work. 44 45 The Farming Training teaches how to raise cattle and includes safety awareness as well as instructions on how to treat illnesses in cattle and administer inoculations. With IOM’s help, Amina was now able to pay for her children’s education and also contribute towards the upkeep of her family. She also says that she now produces milk butter, and that sales are going well.

Although she faces a number of obstacles in her business, Amina always thinks about expanding and owning a dairy shop to sell her products: “All my customers come from far away and they say that they only want to buy my product because they know it is clean and tasty” she said, enthusiastically.

Amina advised the other beneficiaries to be passionate about their business and not to give up. “Every success starts with the powerful will to succeed and a determined focus with an end goal in mind”.

46 47 Auday’s Story

The Blacksmith

Auday is 36 years old and lives in Muheizem village, a community that hosts IDPs from other parts of Iraq. He lives in a rented house with his wife and parents. Although he would love to have a big family, his wife is not able to have children and he cannot afford the treatment she needs. Auday is not even able to pay for his father’s medication.

Auday is a skilled blacksmith with many years of experience. His former boss trusted him to deal with customers directly when he was not in the workshop. However, when things got difficult, Auday’s employer had to close the workshop, and Auday was left with no stable income or tools to open another blacksmithing business. He accepted daily paid jobs and had to borrow money to pay for rent and for his family’s needs. He continued struggling to provide for his family until he received an IOM Business Support Package in 2016, which enabled him to resume work as a blacksmith.

In 2017, IOM visited Auday, who now uses his motorbike to runs his own business. He drives to his customers’ houses to do the jobs they need. “I am very happy I have my own business and I want to expand it in the future. Receiving the Business Support Package made a major difference in my life, and I am grateful for all the help that has been given to me. I plan to expand my business to save enough money so my wife can have the treatment she needs to be able to have children,” he said.

48 49 Hamdia’s Story

The Mother of the Breeder

Ali’s family in Najaf was in a difficult financial situation due to the lack of employment opportunities and their inability to buy the equipment required to open a small business.

IOM organized a two-week Farming Training, after which the selected beneficiaries were given calves so that they could start a small business and increase their income. After receiving the Farming Training package, they were able to produce and sell milk in the market.

Hamdia, Ali’s mother, was one of the indirect beneficiaries of this project. Suffering from ill health for many years, she can now get the medical attention she needs. “It was difficult to constantly have to find money to pay for medication, as my illness is chronic. Now I can face the challenges ahead thanks to this project, which has greatly improved our lives,” she said.

50 51 Mokhaibar’s Story The Shopkeeper It is the

In the last four years, Erbil has welcomed hundreds of thousands of smile on my Iraqi displaced families and Syrian refugees fleeing from the battles between government forces and armed groups. IOM staff spoke to a number of these refugees about their experience, situation and hopes. children’s Mokhaibar is a 52-year-old man with a chronic illness; he was forcibly displaced with eight of his family members from a Syrian village called Hasaka. “I had to leave my house four years ago; I moved from one city faces that to the other until I landed in a refugee camp in Erbil, here in northern Iraq,” Mokhaibar said. makes me Mokhaibar was losing hope, having to borrow money from friends and relatives, until IOM helped him open a small grocery shop. This changed his life and showed him that he could indeed aspire for a better life for himself and his family. “Having my own grocery shop was like a realize I dream come true,” said Mokhaibar. “Before IOM helped me open my grocery, my family and I had nothing to live on because we did not have any income. Now I can sustain my family to keep them alive!” added have not Mokhaibar with a big smile. All that Mokhaibar hopes for is to continue working in his grocery shop, lost a so he can face the many challenges of his life as a refugee. “The smile on my children’s faces makes me realize I have not lost a thing,” he said with emotion. thing

52 53 Ikhlas’ Story

The Seamstress

Ikhlas is a 24-year-old woman from Al Garma, Anbar Governorate. In 2011, Ikhlas enrolled in a sewing course and started to sew women and children’s clothes, and in June 2013, she received a grant package to open a sewing business in her hometown. Having lost her husband, she had become the sole breadwinner in her family of two children. Understandably, life was not easy for Ikhlas. “When I decided to rely on myself to generate an income, sewing seemed like a good option.

As a female head of household and single mother of two, Ikhlas fulfilled the criteria to be selected as a beneficiary under the Community Revitalization Programme, which was being rolled out in her town. She received an in-kind grant as well as business development training. After receiving the package, which included many items to help develop her business such as a modern sewing machine, a generator and other tools and raw materials, her business began to expand and her customers grew steadily.

Thanks to IOM’s support, Ikhlas was able to increase her income and therefore improve her family’s quality of life. Unfortunately, the positive turn that her life had taken was thwarted by the ISIL conflict in 2014. Ikhlas had to flee her town, leaving everything behind. When Al Garma was retaken, she returned to a burnt down house. “I was shocked to see my house destroyed. I had lost everything, including my sewing machine, which was my only chance at generating income,” she says. Despite the many difficulties, Ikhlas did not give up. She borrowed money from relatives, bought a used sewing machine and some materials, and gradually resumed her work. Now, her business has started recovering and she has regained most of her customers, which will help her rehabilitate her house and support her family.

54 55 “By helping me, IOM enabled me to help my relatives. Thank you for this, you are changing the lives Abdul Bari’s Story of thousands of people,” added Abdul. The Retailer

Abdul Bari is an IDP from Telafar, Ninewa Governorate. In 2014, Abdul was displaced to Kerbala after ISIL entered his town, occupied his house and killed most of his relatives. His only surviving family member is his mother.

Back in Telafar, Abdul was a greengrocer who lived a simple life in a mud house and faced challenges brought on by poverty. Abdul’s displacement caused him great anxiety as he had never heard of Kerbala and did not know anyone there. He was also concerned that he would not have the means to buy the much-needed medicines for his ailing mother.

“She is the only family I have left, and I was so worried for her,” recounts Abdul. However, Abdul found a better accommodation than his mud house and he settled in Sattar Mosque, only a few kilometres away from Kerbala’s city center. He also received help from members of the host community, which he greatly appreciated. Abdul’s life took a dramatic change after he was interviewed and advised by IOM staff working for the Community Revitalization Programme to open a grocery shop.

To ensure the success of his venture, Abdul attended the Business Development Service training and actively took part in drafting his business plan. Shortly after receiving his Business Support Package, Abdul invited IOM staff members to visit his grocery and proudly showed them around. He has become a successful businessman and has a stable monthly income.

“I can finally dream of getting married, have my own family, and my own house. I thank IOM for changing my life around. I don’t think I will ever go back to my mud house,” he said. Now that he is able to do so, Abdul is also helping some of his relatives who live close by.

56 57 TRANSITION AND RECOVERY UNIT, IOM IRAQ SUCCESS STORIES

Written, Designed and Photographed by: The International Organization for Migration — Iraq Mission © IOM Iraq 2018

Supported by the U.S. State Department, Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM)