LocationsKifah restarted a tailoring business out of her home in Tikrit using her savings from a cash-for-work job opportunity.
Kifah Akram sits behind her sewing machine. Photo: UNDP Iraq/Anmar Amer Aljenapi
Walk into 39-year-old Kifah’s home and you will be welcomed with a whirring sound of her tailoring machine spinning the wheel. You will find her in the corner, behind her sewing machine, amidst a pile of fabric.
The art of sewing is not new to Kifah. Having picked up the skill from her parents at an early age, her designs are known for consistent fitting and intricate details. In 2011, Kifah moved from her hometown Juraf al-Sakhir in Babil, to Shahama in Salah al-Din to be with her husband. It was around the same time she started a tailoring unit which was a small yet highly popular business.
During ISIL, Kifah fled for her life to Kirkuk. Unfortunately, she also had to leave her business behind. Though in early 2021, she returned home determined to rebuild her life.
Kifah with her husband Abbas outside their home in Tikrit. Photo: UNDP Iraq/Anmar Amer Aljenapi
The journey to rebuild has not been easy. “I had to sell my old sewing machine because we needed the money. I could not buy a new machine because of our growing medical and household expenses," Kifah adds.
To support Iraqis like Kifah, through the Iraq Crisis Response and Resilience Programme (ICRRP), UNDP provides cash-for-work opportunities to generate immediate income for families. To date, over 23,000 people have benefited from cash-for-work jobs across the five liberated governorates in Iraq. This has supported people recovering from conflict with improved purchasing power, immediate household income, along with restoring community infrastructure and improving access to services.
Kifah, whose name means ‘to fight’ in Arabic, is a strong fighter. Earlier this year, she was chosen to take part in the cash-for-work project in Tikrit to clean the streets. “I am happy that I participated in five-day training before we started the activity. After which, I completed 25 days working on the site and have another 10 more days to go.” She earns around US$ 800 for 40 days (about 1 and a half months) of employment.
Kifah purchased a new sewing machine with the savings from her cash-for-work employment. Photo: UNDP Iraq/Anmar Amer Aljenapi
With the savings from her salary, Kifah has bought a new sewing machine along with raw material to restart her tailoring business. “It cost me IQD 300,000 (approximately US$ 200) to buy a new machine. I can work from home and earn around IQD 450,000 (approximately US$300) every month, which should support my family.”
Kifah strongly believes that opportunities like this provide Iraqis the right kind of immediate support to rebuild their lives. “Although my income might not always cover our expenses, I am determined to continue working and be self-reliant.”
About the project
The project was implemented by UNDP’s Iraq Crisis Response and Resilience Programme (ICRRP) in partnership with Danish Refugee Council (DRC) with funding from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), provided through KFW Development Bank. Through this, 250 cash-for-work job opportunities were created in Tikrit.
