Nadia's Initiative Women's Business Beneficiary Details Impact of Project on Livelihoods

Noura fondly remembers living with her husband and four children in a small mud house, where they nurtured a small farm and orchard garden. But their tranquil life was shattered when ISIS invaded Sinjar and they had to flee to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

For a while, Noura’s family lived with relatives and worked as hired field hands for whatever farm would hire them. But then the work dried up. Without any other prospects, they moved to a displacement camp.

“Life as an IDP is really challenging; we were unable to find jobs and had to rely only on humanitarian aid. We chose to go to Sinjar Mountain because of the poor living conditions in the camps, but unfortunately the area was not completely liberated yet.”

Noura’s husband volunteered to help protect the local community, but after only a few days she was informed that he had been killed.

Now, Noura was on her own: “I was struggling to make ends meet for my children.” Noura decided to move the family again - this time back to their home village. Upon arrival, they realized that their home, farm, and orchard had all been destroyed. They had nothing.

That’s when Noura learned about NI’s women’s empowerment and entrepreneurship program. Noura enrolled in the program’s small business training and opened her own shop.

“I decided to open a mini-market and nuts store after conducting market research and developing a business plan. I plan to continue my studies in entrepreneurship, financial management, and business development. Through this initiative, I will be able to support my children and my community.”

This project is funded by UAE Aid and implemented in partnership with Mission East.