“I have a voice that can be heard to make a change in my community.” – Basma, Youth Initiatives participant from Sheikhan
When Basma’s family was displaced to Sheikhan from Sinjar following the occupation of the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), she enrolled in Rehat School, one of the oldest and most crowded schools in the area. Being a naturally sociable person, she was not bothered by the number of students nor the limited space. Instead, Basma was frustrated that she could not find a place outside the classroom to get to know her new classmates. “The building was old, and the schoolyard was like a forest of weeds and dirt. It was the only place that we could have used to relax and talk, but it was inaccessible.”
When Basma heard about an opportunity to take part in a USAID-funded skills building and mentorship project for aspiring decision-makers, she signed up for a phone interview, where her outgoing personality shone through. "When I interviewed Basma for the first time on the phone, I was instantly struck by her confidence. She wasn't shy, and she spoke her mind. I knew that would make her a good candidate for a youth leader," recalled Jelan, a Program Officer.
The project seeks to promote the role of women and girls as decision-makers and build their capacity to assume greater leadership roles in their communities. Basma is part of a group of 50 participants selected to learn new skills and design projects to develop accessible public spaces. Basma pitched her idea of renovating Rehat School to create safe and inviting spaces to socialize outside of the classroom. Her vision instantly resonated with the group of youth and adult leaders and they agreed to present Basma’s idea to the committee. The group also thought that the project should benefit not just Rehat but also five other schools in Sheikhan.
“The committee found Basma’s idea very attractive because of the number of students who would benefit from the initiative,” said Jelan, “The school has over 600 students, and two-thirds of them are girls. Teenage girls in Sheikhan have no spaces to go to on their own to socialize, their lives are limited to either their homes or the school. Refurbishing Rehat School would make a big difference for girls attending the school. They would finally have a functional building and schoolyard to enjoy each other’s company.”
Basma was ecstatic when she received the news that her initiative was approved by the committee: "I knew that I was going to be leaving school soon, but I wanted to enjoy my last year as a high school student. Knowing that I did something positive for future students of Rehat School makes me proud."
Basma was hands-on throughout the implementation process, displaying her leadership skills, as well as her commitment to improving the school environment for her fellow female students. As a student herself, she contributed unique insights to the project design while conducting site visits and working with the project engineer and landscape designers. With the leadership of Basma and her group, the project completed work on five schools in Sheikhan. The work on Basma’s school is underway, and will be completed in April 2021.
This project is made possible by USAID’s Genocide Recovery and Persecution Response – Learning and Pilots (GRPR L&P) Women, Peace and Security program and is supported by the Iraqi Center for Negotiation Skills and Conflict Management (IQCM).
MSI for USAID