Embracing passion: successful Syrian tailor finds new opportunity at the UN Women Oasis
Amal is a fifty-year-old Syrian woman from Dara’a, mother of seven, and currently living in the Za’atari refugee camp. As a child, she loved to sew and worked hard develop her passion into a successful career: “I made the right decision when I chose to complete my diploma in tailoring with the Women’s Union [in Syria]”.
Her determination did not end there. After graduation she started her private business in Damascus by opening small tailoring and sewing shop. For 17 years, she used to make school uniforms, children’s cloths and traditional dresses. What made her designs unique in the market was the detail and quality of the embroidery she applied to dresses – a special feature which opened up for her the opportunity to export her work to the Gulf Countries.
Amal’s profitable business abruptly ended in 2012, when the conflict started in Syria. Due to the unstable security situation in the city, Amal had to leave her house - along with her children and few family members - and moved to Dara’a (South of Syria). She was heartbroken when she learned that her shop in Damascus had been looted – the work of life destroyed in few minutes.
Her family stayed in Dara’a for two months until the situation became tense there as well. The house where was living was bombed, with three members of her family suffering from heavy injures. As a result, from the immense pressure for their safety, Amal’s husband had a stroke from which he never fully recovered. Collecting all the remaining strength she could find and to protect her children, she decided to flee to Jordan and, in August 2012, her family arrived to the Za’atari refugee camp.
This transition was particularly hard at the beginning, with her children facing difficult times in adjusting to the life in a tent. “I’ll never forget the moment when it rained the first time and my tent was flooded. My daughter had just had a baby though a caesarian operation and she was sleeping in a mattress, and my paralyzed husband was sleeping on another one. I felt helpless. I couldn’t decide what to do. Who can I help if the flooding increases? Who would I have to leave behind?”. Just a few weeks after their arrival in the camp, one of her sons who got injured in Syria passed away.
Amal’s other son started to look for work in the camp to buy medicaments for his father, but as he was under the age of 18 so he was unable to find any. Amal herself then began looking for work – though she found few opportunities matching her skills in the camp. After speaking with some friends she approached UN Women, and was engaged through the Cash for Work programme as a tailor – using her talents to increase the quality of the items being produced for the camp residents.
“I found myself again.” She affirmed as this opportunity has helped her to heal from the trauma that she carried with her from Syria. Leaving her caravan and heading to the UN Women Oasis she feels much more relaxed, and she is able to leave her stress aside. She is going to a place with her friends where she can be useful, and remain busy. The money she earns has allowed her to buy medicine, fresh fruit, vegetables, books and toys for her children and grandchildren. Supporting her is her husband, who encourages her to work, build her skills and embrace her passion back in her life