Bazar 4 female trainees start a new trip to develop their skills in dressmaking

Malakeh al-Ali, 36, and Dalia Ismail, 37, along with 22 other women from the city of Raqqa, have recently joined the vocational training workshop of dressmaking as part of the activities of the fourth phase of the (Bazar) project,.

Al-Ali, who lost a lot due to the war during the years of ISIS control of the city, said, all those circumstances she went through, did not discourage her from joining her colleagues to develop her skills in dressmaking to open a new chapter in the field of work.

Like other residents of Raqqa, the house of al-Ali was burnt by the militants of the extremist organization, so she lost the work kit that she owned, but this did not stop her hard attempts to return to the field of work again, so she was able to acquire a small sewing machine in an effort to preserve her profession as it is almost the only financial resource to support her family of four children, and to help her husband, who is no longer able to work due to illness.   

She said, joining the team of trainees within the fourth phase of the (Bazar) project for economic support for women, whose first version was launched in May, 2020, brings with it a new glimmer of hope for another start in the field of work after developing her professional skills through the training started on June 12.   

Dalia Ismail, who has been working in dressmaking for six years, said she sees joining her colleagues in vocational training in the new version of the Bazaar project as an opportunity to develop her skills in this field. 

Ismail, who has supported six children since her separation from her husband, joined the training that started two days ago with great enthusiasm, as she said, she needs to develop her expertise in this field, given the increasing demand and the recovery of the local market since the liberation of Raqqa from ISIS control.  

The vocational training in dressmaking started on Saturday, with the participation of 24 women from the city of Raqqa, in an attempt to support women in securing continuous and stable livelihoods through an intensive training program, in addition to training in professional marketing over a period of two and a half months.   

The general context of the project supports the reintegration of the female trainees into the labor market in line with the plan to provide them with technical support, help them obtain stable job opportunities, and focus on improving their economic level to allow them to rely on themselves and secure a stable income for their families, in addition to achieving financial independence for them.  

The project comes in its fourth phase after empowering the skills of 84 male and female trainees from the residents of Tel al-Samen IDP camp and Raqqa city during the previous three phases in the following professions: sewing, dressmaking, haircut, hairdressing, plumbing, gypsum board and home electricity, in addition to professional marketing training.  

The project also comes in response to the large needs in the field of livelihoods, providing more job opportunities for young people, and keeping pace with the local market’s need for skilled manpower by creating safe spaces for vocational training to ensure the empowerment of female participants’ skills in the field of dressmaking.