Locations
The sisters chatting in their shop supported by UNDP, the European Union and its partners.
Salima Ahmed Adwan and her older sister, Salha, are originally from Baghdadi in Anbar. For years, they lived a simple yet fulfilling life, deeply rooted in their community. Salima had always dreamed of running her own shop—a small but vibrant space where neighbors could gather, exchange stories, and pick up the little things that made a house feel like home. And for a while, she had that. She built it with care, right next to her house, filling the shelves with goods and the air with warmth.
The terror of ISIL
In 2014, ISIL forced them to flee, ripping them away from the life they had built. They left everything behind—family heirlooms, familiar streets, the warmth of neighbors who felt like family. What came next was a blur of displacement and survival.
Their first stop was Al-Hol camp, a place they now call a nightmare. There was never enough—never enough money, never enough food, never enough warmth in the bitter cold of winter, or shade from the relentless summer heat. Nights stretched on with little sleep, the weight of uncertainty pressing heavy on their chests. Safety was always a question mark. Who could they trust? Would they make it through another day?
Then came a chance to move to Al Amal Center, a place that, for the first time in years, offered a glimmer of stability. It wasn’t home, not yet, but life felt a little easier. There was more support, a sense of structure, and for the first time in a long while, they could breathe.
It’s not just about surviving anymore. It’s about finding their way back to something that feels like “living”.
Remembering what they went through during those dark times with ISIL.
Starting over
Today, they run a small store once again, this time with the help of Salima’s son and brother. The men take on many of the responsibilities—managing the shop in the evenings, traveling to buy stock, and stepping in when Salima and Salha need rest. Salha, now 58, struggles with health issues that make it difficult to move around, so Salima, at 42, shoulders most of the daily work.
It’s not the shop they once had, but it’s theirs. A new beginning, built from resilience and the quiet determination to reclaim what was taken from them not so long ago.
Their neighborhood shop in Anbar, frequented by the local community.
For Salima and Salha, rebuilding wasn’t just about opening a shop—it was about finding themselves again.
Empowerment after the storm
Through business training, they learned more than just how to sell goods. They discovered how to understand their customers, how to stock what the community needed, and how to market their products. These skills didn’t just help their business; they gave them something even more precious—hope.
But the journey wasn’t only about learning how to run a shop. The pain of the past still lingered, heavy and unspoken. The memories of loss, of everything that had been taken from them, sometimes felt like a weight too difficult to carry.
That’s where the mental health support made all the difference. It helped them face their grief, their fears, and the quiet moments of sadness that once felt overwhelming. With time and care, something shifted. They felt lighter. They began opening up—not just to each other, but to the people around them.
For the first time in years, the pain wasn’t something they had to hide. It became something they could share, something they could heal from—together.
Editor’s Note
The RISE project is a joint project funded by the EU to the tune of Euro 5 million and implemented by UNDP and UNICEF. It aims to address the reintegration needs of vulnerable children, young persons, adults, and other stigmatized groups such as families with perceived ISIL-affiliation returning to Iraq from NES, as well as of conflict-affected host community members. Through targeted business training, financial support, and mental health services that were implemented by UNDP in partnership with Welthungerhilfe (WHH), RISE helps individuals like Salima and Salha reclaim their independence and rebuild their lives with dignity.
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