February 21, 2024
News
Iraq is still suffering the consequences of years of armed conflict and political unrest. The country was hit hardest by the invasion of the self-proclaimed Islamic State, which forced millions of Iraqis to flee their homes. One of them is Ghufran, whom Caritas Czech Republic helped launch a cooking business.
Love for cooking and baking
The 27-year-old Iraqi comes from Jurf al-Nasr, a small town near Baghdad, where she lived with her family on a farm, growing vegetables and raising animals. She and her family fled when the self-proclaimed Islamic State invaded their hometown. Now, they live in the Bzeibiz camp for the internally displaced people in the neighbouring Anbar province.
A mother of two girls and a boy, Ghufran did not attend school, as that was not the norm in her community. But she has always enjoyed cooking and baking. One day, Ghufran heard from her brother, about a business management training carried out by Caritas Czech Republic. He suggested that she register for the course, which she did.
Networking and business investments
Thanks to the training, Ghufran met people outside her social circle for the first time and learned how to open a business, manage her finances, and improve her income. After completing the course, she also received a grant, which helped her invest in better equipment.
“Before I participated in the project, I only had an oven and baking tray, but after receiving the grant, I bought a lot of equipment to make pastries and kibbeh [a dish made of ground beef]: two electric ovens for baking in case of high demand, such as during the holy fasting month of Ramadan, and a large freezer, a cooker with an oven, a small electric oven and gas canisters,” says. With this equipment, her business kicked off. “Now I have many customers because I have a place to store the raw materials and products and can complete several orders at the same time.”
Better state of mind
As Ghufran says, the educational and financial support she received from Caritas Czech Republic changed her life greatly. “My relationship with my family and my state of mind have improved,” she notes. Her husband, who is a day labourer, helps her occasionally. Ghufran's financial situation has also improved, she can now provide for the family and even put some of the earnings aside to further develop her business in the future. "Do not be afraid of anything, and challenge the circumstances," Ghufran says to all mothers willing to develop a business idea.
Ghufran is one of the many Iraqis Caritas Czech Republic has supported in launching and developing their business after the attacks by the self-proclaimed Islamic State through vocational training and financial grants, which help people rebuild their livelihoods. Thank you for helping with us.
