Hope always finds its way even in the most difficult circumstances, Bazar trainees

After ISIS killed both his father and brother in 2017, Muhammad al-Ayed, 28, found himself responsible for his mother and younger brothers, in addition to his wife and children.

During the past three years, al-Ayed tried to secure a steady source of income for the two families, for which he found himself responsible, but the circumstances that the area went through, prevented that, as he says.

As soon as he completed his compulsory service, al-Ayed was forced to flee his hometown, Hammam al-Turkman village, following the Turkish military offensive in October 2019, to finally find himself in the Tal al-Samen IDP camp, which houses thousands of IDP people fleeing from the Tel Abyad region and its countryside.   

A few weeks ago, al-Ayed joined the team of the (Bazar 2) project trainees to start mastering the basics of sewing bit by bit, and to take advantage of the opportunity provided to him appropriately.

Now, al-Ayed hopes to develop his ability in this profession, hoping that it may be the desired solution to secure a steady source of income, and to enter the labor market again, despite the continuing difficulties of displacement.  

Elsewhere, where it takes an extra effort that exceeds what sewing requires, Qarajah al-Abbo, 31, sits and takes a rest after a day of continuous work and training within a team of plumbing trainees.

Al-Abbo, who comes from the village of Sherkrak, spent most of his life practicing free business. Therefore, life did not provide him an opportunity to master a specific profession, but he says that the (Bazar 2) project finally achieved this, even if the opportunity came in difficult circumstances.  

Al-Abbo, who fled with his family during the Turkish offensive last year, talks about his home, which he left behind, and his refuge in Tal al- Samen camp, pointing out that hope always finds its way into one’s heart even in the worst of circumstances.

He says that he is now engraving his future with his chisel and hammer, to open a new page of a different life, as he says.  

The (Bazar) project, in its first and second versions, aims to provide real support opportunities for the IDPs who were forced to leave their homes and jobs after the Turkish military offensive, which increased the size of the challenges they had mainly faced since 2011.

In its current second version, the project provides training in the professions of sewing, dressmaking and plumbing, in addition to training on marketing for four groups of male and female trainees, each of which includes 6 people.