Syria - Deir ez Zor

“I am overjoyed, and I gain more self-confidence,  whenever I provide personal care services to girls in my beauty salon,” says Hind, 35, who participated in a three-month vocational training on beauty care organized for adolescent girls and women by UNFPA in Deir ez-Zor city, North East of Syria.

Hind is one of 40 women who joined the women-empowerment training at the beginning of 2022. The training is provided continuously in the UNFPA-supported women’s and girls’ safe spaces to help women, especially those who are jobless, improve their incomes and build their capacities.

Hind beautifies her daughter’s hair at her beauty shopr. UNFPA - Syria 2022

A Wise Decision

The beneficiaries are free to choose the vocation and the training they prefer, among several offered training,  such as beautifying, sewing, computer learning, English language, and literacy learning. 

Hind was going through difficult living and financial conditions and was looking for an easy, fast, and no-cost way to earn money and support her children’s learning.  She participated in the beautifying and coiffure training as she could start her own business without needing to buy a lot of expensive equipment, or rent an office space, especially when one converts a room of their home to be a place for their business as Hind did. 

“My goal was so clear. I wanted to offer my children high-quality education to compensate for what they had lost during the 6 years of displacement from our homes,” she declares.

A client visits Hind’s beauty shop to prepare herself for a special event UNFPA - Syria 2022

Negotiating, and finding solutions skills

For some women in Syria, particularly wives, it remains difficult to leave home or engage in any kind of outside activities. But that does not mean that the mission is impossible.  Hind’s husband initially rejected her attendance at the workshop but after her continuous efforts, she convinced him of the importance of the opportunity to her and their children.

“I emphasized on the most positive aspects of my participation in the training, such as the money we will gain, and the education sessions that we can offer to our children,” she says.

Two months ago, Hind opened her own beauty shop.  Her business is growing daily, allowing her to make profits and make a living. Hind is striving to push her business to the top.

“My priority at the present is moving my salon to a new shop on the main street of the neighborhood where more clients exist, as well as having more necessary equipment. So, a part of the money I have earned goes to buy some new materials,” she explains.

A client visits Hind’s beauty shop to prepare herself for a special event UNFPA - Syria 2022

Recovery From Displacement

Hind’s family was displaced from Tahtouh neighborhood in Deir ez-Zor city in 2012 due to escalated violence. Together with her four children and parents, the family sought safety in Dweir village, in the eastern rural area Deir Ez-Zor where they have now lived for six years.

“The displacement was the worst time we had ever lived. First, we were forced to leave our home. Then my children dropped out of school for a long time. Finally, my mother passed away at that difficult time,” she recalls while her black eyes are nearing to burst with tears.

A client visits Hind’s beauty shop to prepare herself for a special event UNFPA - Syria 2022

In 2018, my family traveled to Damascus to resume their children’s learning. And they return to Deir ez-Zor city in 2020. Since that time, my family has struggled for recovery while the living conditions in the whole city are very difficult to say the least.

By joining UNFPA-supported vocational training, Hind created a new stage in her life. Not only did UNFPA services provide her with the knowledge and skills to start her own business and generate an income but also exposed her to various awareness sessions led by specialized volunteers leading her tobuilt trust in herself, make new friendships with women of different ages and cultures, and increase her awareness on many social and health topics.

Hind is one of 25,649 beneficiaries in Deir ez-Zor city and the rural areas reached by UNFPA in the first quarter of 2022, through five static health centers and 9 mobile teams. UNFPA-supported facilities provide beneficiaries with reproductive health care and gender-based violence services as well as the relevant awareness messages.   

“I changed for the better once I started visiting the center. Meeting new people, and talking without borders gave me the power, and relief from stress” she confirms.