December 12, 2021
News
Juwan, a 32-year-old woman from Anbar Governorate's Heet District, lives with her husband, son, and daughter. She is a stay-at-home mother who occasionally produces handicrafts to assist her husband. Juwan learned about the Anbar Cash for Work project from her relatives. She decided to apply for this initiative as she needed money to support her family.
Juwan now works in a school rehabilitation programme
Juwan applied for the initiative through a social media link, and was later selected to participate in the Life skills training and Cash for Work programmes.
The training included the following topics - What are the most common symptoms of the Coronavirus? What do we mean by time management? What do we mean by gender equality? What are safety and mine prevention measures? What is the concept of teamwork? She started the five days training on 19th -23rd September.
Juwan is the only member of the family involved in this project, and she has been doing so for a month. She now works as a Cash for Work worker in a school rehabilitation program.
Previously, Juwan had no plans to take any initiative
Juwan was residing in Heet with her spouse and her family. She did not finish her education. Her husband works as a toktok (small vehicle) driver on a daily basis. He's also overweight, which makes it challenging for him to work. He has a lot of debts and helps out his sick father. In addition, Juwan also has two sisters who are both paralyzed, as well as a baby daughter who needs breastfeeding and diaper changes. Juwan decided to be a part of the program because she wanted to assist her husband in paying off his debts.
"The concepts taught in the training influenced my mindset on working outside the house. Finally, I've discovered myself, and I'm ready to work." Juwan said following her participation in the training.
Overcoming challenges
Juwan used to be a shy person before joining the initiative, but she felt more comfortable working outside with other women after finishing the training.
"I'm delighted to work and get to know other ladies in my region, as well as to get paid for 40 days while participating in the Cash for Work activities," she says.
While working, Juwan also has to overcome challenges. ” I have two kids," Juwan continues, "and I have to take my baby to work with me while I leave the other child with my family.”
Message from Juwan
"My advice to every woman is to work hard so that she can raise her children and assist her spouse, because life is a shared journey and both partners need to contribute".
The project is implemented by UNDP Iraq in partnership with Caritas Czech Republic in Iraq with funding from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) provided through Kfw Development Bank.
