Nine years ago, Nadia’s (not her real name) life was turned upside down. The youngest of her five children was only a few months old when the war in Syria started and her husband went missing. “It was a complete nightmare. We went from having a house, a happy family, a good life, to losing everything,” recalls the 49-year-old. When their house was destroyed during an airstrike, Nadia and her children were only able to grab their identity papers and some clothes. “We left everything else behind, all of our things, our memories, our past lives. But the worst thing was to leave without knowing what had happened to my husband. I felt like I wasn’t only leaving our home, I was also leaving him. For years I kept thinking ‘What if he returns? How will he find us?’”. According to the UN, more than 100,000 people, mostly men, have gone missing in Syria since the beginning of the war. Many of their relatives, like Nadia, have given up hope to ever see their loved ones again.
Without her husband, Nadia quickly had to find a way to provide for her children and herself. “I had to take full responsibility for my children while also finding a new home and a job. For nine years I have been worrying every day, especially about my children who were still very young and who couldn’t go to school.”
Nadia fled to her parents’ house in the village where she originally grew up. In the beginning it was hard getting used to the new situation, sharing the small house with her family, many of which had also fled from other parts of Syria. The uncertainty about what happened to her husband still lies heavy on her heart. “It feels like the tragedies and bad news never stop. I always worry that if something happens to my children, to me, that I cannot take care of them anymore. But I have to keep going. I don’t have a choice.”
When relatives told Nadia about an SRC program that supports women to generate a temporary income, she immediately applied. “My relatives encouraged me, telling me how good I am at knitting. I got very excited and was really happy when I was accepted.”As part of the Syria Resilience Consortium, IRC and other organizations support women through economic empowerment and livelihood programs. Since 2016, the consortium has helped over 1,3 million women in desperate need in Syria.
Nadia already knew how to knit, so she helped teach other women who were participating in the training. She received wool and necessary tools. Nadia and the other women knitted scarves, hats, and other warm winter clothes. For her work, Nadia received a total of 360 USD for her work, enabling her to cover her basic needs, buy new clothes for her children and a washing machine.
As part of SRC’s winterization efforts, the winter clothes Nadia and the other women knitted were distributed to families in need. Temperatures in winter often drop below 0 degrees, and many internally displaced families live in bombed or unfinished buildings without windows, heaters or warm clothes and blankets. “It felt good to know that the work we do not only helps us, but also other people in need.”
“The other women in the program and I became good friends. Apart from being able to work and earn an income, it felt like we were gaining back bits and pieces of what normal life can look like. We talk and laugh together and the other community members are proud of what we do. All of this feels really good.”
Nadia hopes that she and the other women can be linked to a market where they can sell their knitted items. “I really hope I can find a stable job, earn money and provide a good life for my family. That’s really all I wish for.”
