Setting up Shop

When ISIS invaded Sinjar, Fawzia was among the thousands of Yezidis stranded on Mount Sinjar for days without food and water. Her two daughters were kidnapped by ISIS as they fled. 

Fawzia now lives alone in a camp for internally displaced persons in Duhok with her young grandson. Without any source of livelihood, she depends on humanitarian assistance and the generosity of neighbors to meet their needs. Sometimes, Fawzia and her grandson have to go days without food to save money. 

USAID met Fawzia to discuss and fund her business idea. She hoped to open a supermarket in the camp as a way to support her and her grandson. Her talk with USAID’s job coaches included details about logistics, lists of items needed, and advice to run her new business effectively.

One evening, as Fawzia’s grandson fell asleep on an empty stomach, she received a phone call from her job coaches with good news – she would start her supermarket business the next day. She could not contain her joy and immediately woke up her grandson and told him, “Tomorrow [we] will open our supermarket and you can eat whatever you want!” The next day in the bazaar, USAID coaches worked with her to buy what she needed to stock her shop. They will also provide further coaching to help her succeed, by conducting regular check-ins and providing market knowledge where needed. 

Fawzia is now a proud business owner who has developed a knack for the trade. Her sales are strong, and for the first time she feels confident that she can pay for what she and her grandson need.

To learn more about the Durable Communities and Economic Opportunities (DCEO/Tahfeez) project, click here.