Astera Sits Behind A Sewing Machine At Her Business, Sima, Where She Tailors And Embroiders Clothing. / Iraq

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Astera, 32, and her family fled fighting in Aleppo in April 2013and sought refuge in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. “We were forced to leave because of military operations and we came to Erbil seeking refuge,” she said. Astera added that life was good in Syria before the war as she, her father, and brothers all had good jobs that provided for the family. Adjusting to a new life in Erbil was difficult and soon after arriving, Astera’s mother and brother fell ill. “We discovered they had Hepatitis and that complicated things for us even more,” Astera recalled. Numerous medical expenses and limited job opportunities made life even harder for the family. Through friends though, Astera heard about DRC’sjob center supported by the European Regional Development and Protection Programme in the KasNazan area of Erbil. There, she was able to complete a training course on entrepreneurship and receive a business grant to open a dress-making and embroidery shop where she employs three other people. “Now I have my own business,” she said. “I support my family, three other workers, and I plan to expand by buying a bigger embroidery machine.”