Building up self-reliance and livelihoods for Syrian Women

Fatima & Amina, Project Team

Fatima and Amina are an example in self-determination and empowerment looking far beyond the torn country and civil war.

Two young women who reinvented themselves: both had different plans of life until the cruelty of war overtook them. Since 2018, both have been working in Raqqa for the development of the agricultural sector and for the empowerment of rural women. They represent many women of their age in northern Syria, engaged in university studies that they sooner or later had to abandon because of the war and occupation of the ISIS caliphate in the city.

“I had to complete a year to get my degree, but the events that my country has suffered in the last decade have prevented me from completing my studies and, when ISIS occupied our village, women were not allowed to go out, and leave their house”, explains Fatima.

For Fatima and Amina, the university was a dream to be fulfilled in search of greater independence and thus having better chances of working in the field of agricultural engineering.

“The situation in my city was rapidly deteriorating and it broke my soul. The residents were in the worst situation I have ever lived in the city. People experienced destruction because of war, mass displacement and harsh treatment. In these circumstances, it was difficult for me to seek a normal life and find a job in my field of education, as well as lack of practical experience and lack of financial conditions.”

After the liberation of the city from ISIS, things began to improve and the change was in sight. At the beginning of 2018, CIHEAM Bari was looking for young, intelligent and dedicated agronomists to work with, to start the implementation of activities on the ground. Amina took over the responsibilities as plant protection officer in the project team and supervised and organized remote technical assistance for extension officers and farmers.

“I have learnt about the pests and diseases that affect agricultural crops, and I have also learned more about using pesticides, the methodology and the way in which they are applied. Further knowledge was gained during remote technical assistance sessions on agricultural crops, problems, pests and diseases / pesticides, held by a specialized remote teacher.”

Thanks to Amina’s dedication and enthusiasm for the work she was doing, the project team gave her the responsibility to also engage in the field of women’s economic empowerment. In addition to other activities, the project also worked on the establishment of a rural women’s association to carry out income-generating activities related to food processing and production.

“As an individual, I felt that this was my task, trying to build a society in which the role of women becomes more accepted and identified as a productive resource.”

Fatima followed a slightly different path...she heard for the first time about the creation of an informal group of women in her village, which envisaged the establishment of a formal association for economic activities.

“One day, I heard that an organization had announced a meeting with the women of the village; the meeting was about food processing and empowering women to build self – reliance and create a source of livelihood for their children. I participated in the meeting, I had no background in food processing and how to benefit from the information presented in the lecture. I was also interested in the approach of the Italian project to support agriculture and livestock for the Syrian people.”

Fatima started out as a volunteer in the women’s group in the village of Samra, facilitating the work between the women and the project team. Her strong motivation became an inspiration for the project team. Finally, Fatima was hired and joined the project team in Raqqa

“I, a daughter of a rural village, educated in schools and universities, did not dream of living and working outside the village. But now, see how life has changed! I had the opportunity to work in an international organization, and I became an expert in all technical and professional work, transforming myself from a girl with simple dreams to a woman with life and work experience.

So, this is my personal success story… After despair crept into our hearts and homes, the project support, with agricultural inputs delivery, awareness-raising lectures, disease surveillance, had direct effects on farmers’ lives. This allowed the families to bring their children back to school and universities, restoring a long forgotten smile and instilling new hope in their land.”

“There is no joy for a person that doesn’t live and feel at home.”