[Iraq] Voices from Participants to PWJ Vocational Training Course (2) ~ “Since I was a child, I always wanted to grow up and help my mother for family expenses” ~

“Since I was a child, I always wanted to grow up and help my mother for family expenses.”
Ms. Sh.R.I., an active participant to Peace Winds Japan (PWJ)’s vocational training course, told a PWJ staff her motivation of participation in the course.
 
Since September 2020, PWJ has been providing vocational training courses in House Maintenance (electricity and plumbing), Beauty Salon, and Leadership to internally displaced persons (IDPs), women and youth from host communities inside and outside Shariya IDPs camp in Shariya Sub District, Duhok Governorate, Northern Iraq, in order to improve their livelihood skills or to develop human resources that can contribute to community cooperation. We will report voices received from the participants of the vocational training courses in four separate articles. In this second article, we will share with you the voice of Ms. Sh.R.I., who participated in the vocational training course for Beauty Salon.
 

Ms. Sh.R.I. practicing make-up

 
For the first article, please go to: https://global-en.peace-winds.org/wp/news/2564
 
Ms. Sh.R.I (20) is from Sinjar, Ninawa Governorate. She was displaced in 2014 from her home town due to an armed attack and she currently lives in a Shariya IDPs camp. When she was a child, her father died in a car accident, leaving behind him a family consisting of two daughters, two sons and a handicapped wife. When PWJ staff asked her about her motivation to participate in the vocational training, she said, “Since I was a child, I always wanted to grow up and help my mother for family expenses.” After her family fled from Sinjar and settled down in the camp in Duhok Governorate, she started working in the camp with an available NGO as a part-time worker to earn cash for supporting her family.
 
Her sense of responsibilities increased, when her older sister moved out to start her new family and Ms. Sh.R.I. became a responsible person for the family. When she heard about PWJ’s vocational training courses in her area, aiming at developing the capacity and increasing the job opportunities of the youth, she immediately enrolled to the Beauty Salon training course.
 

Learning from local professionals, invited as trainers.

Ms. Sh.R.I. seriously practicing different techniques in the training course.

 
In the training course, specifically designed for female youth, she worked hard to build her vocational capacities in beautification and hair style dressing. After the 15-day intensive in-class activities, she passed an entry skill test and was successfully accepted by one of the business owners as an intern. Furthermore, with her hard working, Ms. Sh.R.I received a complement from the salon owner about her high motivation and working skills. With skills she improved, her chance to get opportunities will be higher than before.
 
Believing in the power of the youth, PWJ has been pleased to witness the training participants to gain confidence and broaden their job opportunities with their efforts. As it does for the Beauty Salon training course, PWJ will continue offering livelihood capacity building training, considering the cultural, social and job market characteristics in the targeted region, in order to ensure the effectiveness of the project impacts.
 
This activity was funded by Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan and generous donations from our supporters. Thank you for your continuing support.