December 7, 2021
News
Qutada Halim Mutashar is a young man who lives in the Al-Furat, Heet District in the Iraqi governorate of Anbar. His life has not been easy, during the war his family was displaced and Qutada was facing psychological issues after returning to their home region. For a long time, he could not find job which got worse after he was infected with the Covid-19. Thanks to our Life skills training, Qutada got his life back on track.
Qutada and his story with the Enhance Resilience of Vulnerable Communities in Anbar project
Qutada is 24 years old and lives with his family of nine, which includes his father, mother, two brothers, and four sisters. He is a second-year university student in the Department of Arabic Language at Anbar University’s College of Basic Education. Apart from studying, he also supports his family by working in the agricultural field.
Qutada was struggling with his psychological problems as well as with the lack of employment opportunities. Until he found out about a cash-for-work initiative run by Caritas Czech Republic in Iraq,and the United Nations Development Program) and decided to take part in it.
He went to the registration center about three months ago, and on September 19, 2021, he completed the five-day life skills training. Qutada is the only member of his family who is taking part in this program.
As Qutada described it, he used to be introverted, and spent much of the day alone in his room. He only spoke to his family around mealtimes and could not always control his aggression. Even when it came to clothing choices, he said he could not make a decision, and that since being displaced, he had lost touch with his pals; as a result, he was constantly afraid and careful and avoided social situations. He overcame these obstacles thanks to his mother's consistent encouragement to work and through the many videos he watched about the activities and trainings that Caritas Czech Republic in Iraq together with UNDP organizes. Then he decided to join as well.
When Qutada got infected with the Covid-19, his job search took a turn for the worse. After he recovered from the illness, his parents, especially his mother, pushed him to register and participate despite fierce objections from many in the community.
Life skills training, organized by Caritas Czech Republic and UNDP, included subjects such as self-esteem and gender equality, managing emotions, stress and time, thinking outside the box and creatively, deciding on a course of action, overcoming difficulties, and working in a team.
“Now I feel good about myself,” says Qutada
The training had a profound effect on Qutada's life. The training event was organized by Qutada's longtime friend. "The credit goes to Mr. Muhammad, the trainer who was like a brother to me and taught me a lot about how to overcome fear and shyness, how to manage feelings and time with family and friends, and how to form friendships and solve problems," he said. Because of this training and their improved understanding of life's hardships, they reunited after a long period of stress.
"The positive change in my personality is that I can control my emotions," he explained. I turned into a sociable person.”
" I am now a person who is capable of making decisions and searching for jobs that will allow me to grow and become a more useful member of society while also allowing me to feel good about myself. I am overjoyed that my parents were able to see the positive changes in me after I completed the program, as I spend a lot of time with them. I tell them about all the great things that happen in training, and today I am a completely different person than I was before."
Qutada’s motivational message to other people going through similar challenges
“It's my hope that everyone will join organizations or teams to participate in these trainings, because I used to think they were a waste of time, but after participating in one and seeing the positive impact it had on my personality, I highly encourage everyone to transform their lives."
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.
