The Kurds eis probably the group, who have most effectively resisted the Islamic State. That is why the West has also chosen to ally with the Kurds, and Among other things Denmark has deployed soldiers in Iraq. On two journeys to northern Iraq I have even Experienced the safety behind the front lines in their self-government area, as They defended against IS.
However, Kurdish defense was not cost-free, and an estimated 2000 male Kurdish soldiers lost their lives from 2014-2017 according to Heine Strømdahl, expert in Kurdish affairs and volunteer at the Danish European Mission.
As a result, many war widows are now left alone to provide for their children. On average, Kurdish families have four children. In addition, a small number of the women in the project have been sex slaves for ISIS.
I asked the project manager a number of questions about the project.
How big is the target audience?
We have contact with around 500. They are poor and live in a remote mountainous area with few job opportunities far away from Erbilwhich is the capital of the Kurdish autonomous region in Iraq.
What activities are in the project?
The sewing course lasts eight weeks, during which 20 women are trained. 10 women are trained in the morning and 10 women in the afternoon. The project is holistic and is not just about giving women job training. The local Christians try to give hope to women, also by sharing what the hope of the Christian faith has meant to them. Not only the former sex slaves, but also the widows need hope as they have lost their husbands, who in a Middle Eastern context play a crucial role as provider and protector for the woman.
Not only the former sex slaves, but also poor women and widows desperately need hope as they have lost their husbands, who in a Middle Eastern context play a crucial role as provider and protector for the woman
How are they equipped to provide for their families?
If a war widow or former sex slave is depressed, she can't give much hope to her children, but if she is positive about the future, she can give hope to her children. By womenno can produce their own clothes, they are given dignity, no matter how much they earn.
Through the community they can meet other womenr, they can walk with. They get the vhonesty and increased self-esteem through self-help groups.In this way, the sewing center also a place where they can get community and advice to navigate the difficult circumstances, they stand in.
What are the opportunities for women, after the course is completed?
In addition to the classroom, there are sewing center a room where the trained women can borrow sewing machines for free. After eight weeks of training, they don't know all the secrets of sewing, so they can ask questions and get guidance from the teachers afterwards. They can sell the clothes they produce and earn an income from. The project budgets for women who can develop a business to get their own sewing machine.
Shouldn't the government take care of women? Aren't widows heroes?
Jo, widowsno are martyr widows, but they and the former sex slaves are also women in a Middle Eastern culture and therefore vulnerable. The government should do much more for women, than it does, but the government has a lot of other things on its plate and doesn't prioritize them.
What does it mean that the church is doing this project?
In contrast, Christians fight for vulnerable women. Society wonders about the charitable work of Christians. Local Christians gain credibility when they reach out to vulnerable groups in society that no one else is helping. The skepticism of the outside world is reduced when the majority of the population sees the positive difference the local persecuted Christians are making.
It costs an average of $2,500 to ensure that a woman receives sewing training. Thank you for standing with the brave local Christians and ensuring that traumatized women can attend a sewing course.
