Yazidi Woman Opens Her Own Shop with Support of Nadia's Initiative

When the Islamic State (ISIS) attacked Sinjar, Barfi left her home in Sinuni to take refuge on Mount Sinjar. There her husband died. After years of displacement, Barfi, now 47, returned home with the remainder of her family. The eldest of her sons, who range in age from 10-27, lives with a psychological condition. Until now, Barfi had to rely on her brothers for help to provide and care for her sons.

“We women are no less capable than the rest of society to work outside of the home,” Barfi says.

It was difficult for Barfi to find work because she was a widow and there was no tangible support from NGOs for women in Sinjar. In response to this opportunity gap, Nadia's Initiative set out to empower women like Barfi by providing them with the training and resources to build independent small businesses.

As part of this project, Barfi established a shop selling cellphones and accessories. With her newly earned income, Barfi can support her family and send her children to school, so that they can continue studying and working toward a better future.

"We hope that this type of project will continue to support women in the region, especially the families of survivors who do not have a steady income, in order to improve their living conditions," said Barfi.

This project is funded by the Government of Japan, implemented by Mission East, and supported by IOM Iraq.