Against all the odds, Syrian returnee Samar started her own tailoring project to sustain a living for her family and restore dignity.
Samar, 39-year-old. Samar had returned with her family to their home in Herbanafse town in rural Hama in 2019. Samar explains to UNHCR’s team about her small business project in sewing clothes. © UNHCR
With an insufficient daily income, Samar used to struggle to make ends meet. The 39-year-old mother of six, often had to work in the agriculture fields to earn a living for a day.
“Without this project I cannot tell where we will be by now” says Samar.
Searching for safety during the Syria crisis, Samar and her family fled their home in Herbanafse town in 2015. No sooner had they settled in their new place then they had to move again when the fighting and devastating violence reached their second home. Samar’s two daughters survived life-threatening injuries but her 11-year-old suffers from Post-traumatic stress disorder while the 8-year-old lost her right leg from the knee down.
Samar, 39-year-old. Syrian returnee mother of six. Samar carries her 8-year-old daughter in her arms. Samar’s daughter has lost her right leg from the knee down. © UNHCR
Samar, 39-year-old. Samar had returned with her family to their home in Herbanafse town in rural Hama in 2019. Samar explains to UNHCR’s team about her small business project in sewing clothes. © UNHCR
Samar, 39-year-old. Samar had returned with her family to their home in Herbanafse town in rural Hama in 2019. Samar explains to UNHCR’s team about her small business project in sewing clothes. © UNHCR
Samar had returned to her home in Herbanafse town 2019, but under such desperate circumstances, the idea of obtaining an income to improve the family income was the last thing on her mind.
Samar by a chance came across a community centre run by UNHCR’s partner Social Care Society in her town. After reviewing her case, the society offered her a start-up small business grant to establish her own small business project in clothes sewing.
Samar used the money to buy a sewing machine. Few months later, she has purchased another machine, generating stable income.
“The smile has come back to the house.” says Samar “I am sure that my children would’ve lost their education without this opportunity.”
During a two-day field visit to Homs and Hama in September, UNHCR’s Representative Ayaki Ito met with Samar’s family and listened to their heart-breaking story.
“Our doors and windows helped Samar’s family to have a shelter. Our livelihood project supported them to generate an income.” Ito says, “It is really tough, but the family is together.”
Finding a job is a concern for most Syrian displaced and returnee families, UNHCR started its livelihood programme back in 2013 to support displaced people and affected community to become self-reliant and support their families and themselves. Thousands of Syrians benefited from UNHCR’s livelihood program including vocational training, start-up small business projects, livelihood toolkits, productive workshops, and the provision of Agricultural Productive Assets.
Positive change is afoot, since the beginning of 2020, UNHCR has distributed start-up small business grants to 138 people. Work is ongoing to provide start up small business grants to 850 people by end of the year.
Reporting: Mohanad Nader
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