Valuable skills

“I was born in Sinjar. I fled my hometown to escape the Islamic State fighters in 2014 along with my parents and eight siblings. After a week-long journey my family and I arrived in Khanke village, we had nothing. My family and I were assigned to make a makeshift tent outside the official camp, which was already at capacity. Without basic aid or assistance, my family and I struggled from economic challenges, isolation, and discrimination as an ethno-religious minority. As a result, I did not receive education, health, or social services. I was not able to reestablish myself and build a new life. After two years spent in destitute conditions, lost in thoughts about the suffering of my friends and family, I was offered a slot at the Free Yezidi Foundation’s Women’s Center. Eager to start something new, I enrolled. I gained valuable skills and received trauma treatment. For the next two years, I was a fixture in the center. As I learned and healed, I felt confident enough to look for a job in Khanke village. Since graduating, I have been employed in a local tailoring shop, using the skills I learned from the FYF sewing instructor.

Shaha, 25 years.