November 15, 2021
News
May Akram Abdulahad is 46-year-old and lives in the Iraqi town of Bashiqa. When she was growing up, her family was facing many hardships which made it impossible for May to complete her secondary school. She also had to leave her hometown because of the conflict and after returning she was facing difficulties with finding a job. After joining our training, May gained new knowledge and was able to increase her income.
May’s life after the conflict in Bashiqa
All those who returned to conflict-affected areas in Iraq experienced financial difficulties since their businesses had been destroyed, they lacked the savings necessary to restart their small businesses and, as if that wasn't bad enough, the Covid-19 pandemic aggravated their problems even further.
May's only option upon her return to Bashiqa was to open her own small clothing store. at a clothing store, as she lacked the necessary skills for other jobs. When the pandemic highlighted the critical nature of social media and how businesses might leverage it for success, May felt lost. She didn’t have any experience in this area and wasn’t sure how to approach the social media to help her small shop grow.
"Upon my return, I encountered numerous obstacles, and during the Covid-19 pandemic, people began ordering online via social media. That was unchartered waters for me, and I had no idea how to apply this new tool to my business. At that time, I learned via my church that Caritas Czech Republic assists disadvantaged individuals and communities and could help me adapt to the new situation and not lose my income," May explained.
"I was trained in the management of small projects. I gained a lot from the training since I learnt a lot about small businesses, budgeting, customer service, and various techniques of product promotion," she noted.
Her life has improved significantly because she now has more clients as a result of product promotion on the Internet, and her revenue has increased significantly.
"I would like to express my gratitude to Caritas Czech Republic for their assistance. I hope that other participants are able to contribute to ensuring stability, preventing migration, and enhancing social cohesion in our region."
This project is funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic (MOFA) and implemented by Caritas Czech Republic in Iraq.
