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.