Giving young Syrians the chance to grow their skills

Tuesday, August 29, 2017

Story and photos by Sacha Myers, Communications Specialist, World Vision Kurdistan Region of Iraq

Saihan is on the cusp of adulthood. At 17, she should be planning the next stage of her life. University. Work. Travel.

But as a Syrian refugee living in a remote area of northern Iraq, her options are limited.

“Nothing is clear for the future,” Saihan says. “But for me right now, I will never go back to Syria...If I was still in Syria my future would have been taken away from me.”

The refugee camp where Saihan lives is isolated and surrounded by dry, dusty fields. She has seen the camp change a lot in the three years since she arrived.

“At the beginning, the camp was full of tents, not the small housing blocks there are now,” Saihan explains. “It wasn't very organised – there were only a few shops, there was no supermarket.

“Now it's more organised. There are bathrooms, and hot and cold water – there have been many changes. But it's very hot in the camp...[and] it's difficult being so far from everything.”

Iraq currently hosts more than 244,000 Syrian refugees. But instability and conflict within Iraq have also forced 3.3 million Iraqis to flee their homes and seek safety from the fighting. Many have moved to very remote camps like the one where Saihan lives. Employment opportunities are scarce in the camps and most children have missed years of school.

Despite the odds, Saihan is determined to develop herself and not waste her time in the camp.

She attends school and recently joined a World Vision Permaculture Design Course. The aim of the course is to increase sustainable food production in the camp and provide young people and adults with new skills and employment opportunities. 

“I joined the World Vision course because I like volunteering and developing myself,” Saihan says. “I like to take opportunities where I can gain more confidence in myself. 

“From this training we learnt a lot. I learnt how to test the water to make sure I could use it to water the plants. I tested the plants in different soil to see what they would grow in best.

“To test the quality of the soil, we put water and soil in a plastic bottle. The water stays in the bottom and the soil in the top. I insert a rope through the soil to the water. If the soil takes water up through the rope then it is good for planting, if it doesn’t take the water then we shouldn't use it.

“They taught us how to test the difference between good and bad seeds. When you put seeds in water, the good seeds sink to the bottom and the bad seeds float to the top because they're dead.” 

Saihan is now putting into practice what she’s learnt and grows food in the small garden in front of her house.

“We grew sunflowers and vegetables such as potatoes and tomatoes. Red tomatoes were the most successful, and eggplants,” she explains.

“We have cooked dolma with the grape leaves. We have cooked the eggplant and the tomatoes. Even though it's a small bit of land, we can grow a lot from it. 

“I will try to teach others what I have learnt. With different ideas we can make the area [in the camp] better.” 

With World Vision’s support, the participants from the Permaculture course are now starting their own nursery business using a plot of land near the camp. The younger people in the group will learn from the adults and will then have a chance to start their own business projects in the future.