My story is the story of many in the village of Raqqa Samra, my village
Mahmoud, farmer in Al-Raqqa
“I could afford to give a better livelihood to my family; my sons and daughters went back to school and University and I was able to recruit the workers needed for the activities in the field.”
Mahmoud is 60 years old and father of 5 children. Like many others too, also Mohammad abandoned agricultural activities when the effects of the war and the presence of ISIS overwhelmed his life. After the liberation of Raqqa city in 2017, Mahmoud started, step by step, to rebuild his life and to resume taking care of his fields.
“My name is Mahmoud and I live in a small village named Raqqa Samra, in the outskirts of the city of Al-Raqqa. I have been working the land since I was a boy, cultivating as our father and grandfather have done since we learned from them to work in agriculture. At the time we were making a small profit because production was very unpredictable in quantity and not always as we expected. The fertility of the soil was also very low because we could not understand what was the best way to deal with the crops. Our land has been cultivated year after year without taking into consideration the agricultural cycles and crop rotation, mostly in a primitive way without relying on the know-how and experience of engineers and technicians. In 2011, after the start of the civil war, we were increasingly susceptible to climate change and our family food security decreased. The lack of inputs and resources available on the market has led in some cases to a reduction in the area under cultivation or, worse, to a large displacement of farmers in search of better conditions. Until ISIS came…
Under the Caliphate invasion, ISIS began to control people’s freedom and take possession of their property, blocking the availability of water resources, imposing heavy taxes and preventing women from working and leaving our homes. The burden became too high for us; with the lack of agricultural means of production, water shortages and lack of labour, there were no conditions to work and provide an income for my family. As a result, my children dropped out of school and I felt the pain of not being able to allow them to complete their studies. Life was getting worse and worse, the agricultural production had fallen to zero, we and other rural people were thus forced to go to the city to get our bread. This situation lasted for three years until ISIS was expelled from our parts of the country. Life began to blossom again! We could manage to return to work the land since the prices of agricultural inputs began to decline. The price of a ton of fertilizers dropped from 1200 $ to 800 $, but still too expensive for farmers, and I could afford to buy only a very small quantity, completely ineffective for my fields. Until the Italian Project entered in my village and in others...
As mentioned, the burden of destruction brought by ISIS was too high to heal in a short time. I was reluctant and wary of all the people who came to my village. We were confused, until we decided to deepen the offer of this Italian organization with other farmers, because we heard that they were supporting the farmers. With another farmer friend we decided to visit them on a farm, where they were going to explain all the details of the project. Listening to the project’s technicians explaining and understanding their deep willingness to help, gave me confidence and trust to sign the documents and register with all the agricultural details they asked for. After a short time, the project’s technicians informed us to go to the warehouse where I could receive the fertilizers. I rushed! I was the first to attend... When I received a good amount of fertilizer, I finally managed to work all my land again. In addition, I had the opportunity to attend educational seminars on pests and diseases, learning how to use pesticides correctly for my crops. The project team selected my property as a monitoring field for the control of a wheat disease allowing them to come and carry out routine controls.
Finally, what can I say... I managed to significantly increase my production which gave me a good income after the first season. I could afford to give a better livelihood to my family; my sons and daughters went back to school and university and I was able to recruit the workers needed for the normal activities in the field. My story is one of many in the village of Raqqa Samra, my village... All farmers need support, more knowledge and lessons from international specialists that the Italian project has provided us with free of charge, giving us the opportunity to understand how to best manage crops, how to effectively use inputs and pesticides, how to manage livestock thus protecting their only source of income, helping them to earn a living and to seek a better future for their children.
I hope the project will continue to support us in the future, bringing great benefit to my family and many others in the countryside. I deeply thank all the people and staff who work for the Italian Project for the solidarity they have shown us, especially for their kindness. This demonstrates and reflects the level of humanity and morality they possess. God bless them.”