.jpg)
.jpg)
Super mother, super woman
From survival to leading change: A mother’s journey in Zaatari Camp
Jassar Al-Tahat, Media and Communications Manager-Oxfam GB in Jordan
- +
- -
ZAATARI
REFUGEE CAMP, Jordan — In 2014, Hamda, 31, carried her only child, an infant
back then, through sandstorms and shelling to finally arrive in the Zaatari
refugee camp fleeing the conflict in Syria. اضافة اعلان
“The trip was horrific, my son got sick with pneumonia. … I didn’t know much about the camp. We’ve left our homes and lands, to me it felt like I am going to my grave, forced to go somewhere I didn’t want to be,” said Hamda.
The single mother arrived at the camp to join her parents, to re-establish a life in the middle of nowhere joined by tens of thousands of Syrian refugees where uncertainty and despair are ubiquitous tropes. This grim reality, and the need to adapt quickly did not allow time for grief and dejection.
Despite the delivery of aid and assistance, Hamda, just like many more switched to survival mode. She realized that now, she must fend for herself, her son, and her chronically ill parents, in an environment where everyone was trying to do the same.
“Some kept wailing for weeks, but I couldn’t do that … I couldn’t allow my son to see my sadness, I didn’t have time to be depressed, and I knew I had to be a source of inspiration for those around me. Some rely on you (herself) for the smallest shred of hope,” added Hamda.
Nine years laterEver since her arrival, and with zeal and determination, Hamda, did not spare an opportunity to learn or engage with her community. However, amidst the chaos, there was a wave of nebulous rumors about aid and income opportunities available for refugees plaguing the community.
In 2014, a coincidental interaction with an Oxfam Community Engagement team member saw Hamda apply and get a chance to volunteer with the organization in the camp. This opportunity marked the beginning of something quite significant.
“Not only did I learn what it means to volunteer with an organization, but I also learned about the concepts of safeguarding, and dynamics of INGOs operating in the camp. … I had the ability and knowledge to advise other women on how they can apply for similar opportunities and protect them from being exploited,” she said.
Risks of being exploited is not the only issue facing aspiring women in the camp. Previous research conducted by Oxfam in Jordan revealed that women in Zaatari face additional barriers to working, including childcare responsibilities, poor transport options and restrictive gender norms. Initially, few women applied for roles in Oxfam’s waste collection operations, but after community consultations and a series of adaptations to the roles, around half of these positions are filled by women, including technical and leadership roles.
Previous Oxfam research has found that women engaged in cash-for-work have generally been able to overcome initial reluctance to their working, while most men were broadly supportive of women working in ‘appropriate jobs’.
Incentive Based Volunteering and Cash for Work schemes, while similar, offer an opportunity for targeted segments to generate income in a safe and accountable environment.
“I know some women who work in farms nearby the camp, I wouldn’t do it, and I don’t encourage it especially for women … they leave at dawn, work long, hard hours and sometimes the employer wouldn’t pay them,” said Hamda.
The report also revealed that with scarce job opportunities and limited access to local job markets, refugees in Zaatari rely on income opportunities provided by international organizations and UN agencies through humanitarian programs, known as incentive-based volunteering or cash-for-work. This is the main source of work in the camp; in 2021, 42 percent of working refugees were engaged in cash-for-work programs, followed by agriculture (25 percent).
It has been nine years since Hamda first engaged with Oxfam. Today, she is a team leader at one of Oxfam’s waste sorting facilities managing a sizable operation and team.
“When I first took this position, many would ask me how can you do this type of job? Afterall, I am overseeing an operation with 80 trolly workers, and six sorting workers. Being a woman and managing the team is source of relief to other women taking part in the project they always tell me that they feel safer under the leadership of a woman. They also tell me that because they have a woman manager, their families feel more comfortable allowing them to work,” said Hamda.
A community’s protagonistToday, Hamda’s only child is nine years old, he goes to school and aspires to become and architect, while Hamda is attending online classes to get a bachelor’s in business administration. She also engages with the community by providing literacy classes to adults and children in her surroundings.
“My son says he wants to become an architect to build us a house and build houses for those in need,” said the mother with a smile.
“I like helping people even it was with a word especially those who are alone. I don’t like to see people being exploited. … Maybe I am different because I have to be the mother and the father for my son, I don’t have an option but to be strong,” added Hamda.
Working with Oxfam and other agencies, Hamda remains engaged with her community through these classes, and is a go-to person for questions on how to work or volunteer with INGOs in the camp. She shows a great deal of bonhomie and seeks to expand her work on literacy in the camp.
“I feel that my experience is one of success, hope, innovation and meaningfulness. This job I have, and previous ones helped me become who I am today, and helped me become independent and an active person in my community and provide for my child,” concluded Hamda.
Read more Features
Jordan News
“The trip was horrific, my son got sick with pneumonia. … I didn’t know much about the camp. We’ve left our homes and lands, to me it felt like I am going to my grave, forced to go somewhere I didn’t want to be,” said Hamda.
The single mother arrived at the camp to join her parents, to re-establish a life in the middle of nowhere joined by tens of thousands of Syrian refugees where uncertainty and despair are ubiquitous tropes. This grim reality, and the need to adapt quickly did not allow time for grief and dejection.
Despite the delivery of aid and assistance, Hamda, just like many more switched to survival mode. She realized that now, she must fend for herself, her son, and her chronically ill parents, in an environment where everyone was trying to do the same.
“Some kept wailing for weeks, but I couldn’t do that … I couldn’t allow my son to see my sadness, I didn’t have time to be depressed, and I knew I had to be a source of inspiration for those around me. Some rely on you (herself) for the smallest shred of hope,” added Hamda.
Nine years laterEver since her arrival, and with zeal and determination, Hamda, did not spare an opportunity to learn or engage with her community. However, amidst the chaos, there was a wave of nebulous rumors about aid and income opportunities available for refugees plaguing the community.
Despite the delivery of aid and assistance, Hamda, just like many more switched to survival mode. She realized that now, she must fend for herself, her son, and her chronically ill parents, in an environment where everyone was trying to do the same.“The camp was very different early on, there were people trying to deceive us (refugees in the camp) or exploit us offering jobs, or volunteering opportunities, as the months rolled by, I learned how to differentiate between those who want to help and those who want to deceive,” said Hamda.
In 2014, a coincidental interaction with an Oxfam Community Engagement team member saw Hamda apply and get a chance to volunteer with the organization in the camp. This opportunity marked the beginning of something quite significant.
“Not only did I learn what it means to volunteer with an organization, but I also learned about the concepts of safeguarding, and dynamics of INGOs operating in the camp. … I had the ability and knowledge to advise other women on how they can apply for similar opportunities and protect them from being exploited,” she said.
Risks of being exploited is not the only issue facing aspiring women in the camp. Previous research conducted by Oxfam in Jordan revealed that women in Zaatari face additional barriers to working, including childcare responsibilities, poor transport options and restrictive gender norms. Initially, few women applied for roles in Oxfam’s waste collection operations, but after community consultations and a series of adaptations to the roles, around half of these positions are filled by women, including technical and leadership roles.
Previous Oxfam research has found that women engaged in cash-for-work have generally been able to overcome initial reluctance to their working, while most men were broadly supportive of women working in ‘appropriate jobs’.
Incentive Based Volunteering and Cash for Work schemes, while similar, offer an opportunity for targeted segments to generate income in a safe and accountable environment.
“I know some women who work in farms nearby the camp, I wouldn’t do it, and I don’t encourage it especially for women … they leave at dawn, work long, hard hours and sometimes the employer wouldn’t pay them,” said Hamda.
The report also revealed that with scarce job opportunities and limited access to local job markets, refugees in Zaatari rely on income opportunities provided by international organizations and UN agencies through humanitarian programs, known as incentive-based volunteering or cash-for-work. This is the main source of work in the camp; in 2021, 42 percent of working refugees were engaged in cash-for-work programs, followed by agriculture (25 percent).
It has been nine years since Hamda first engaged with Oxfam. Today, she is a team leader at one of Oxfam’s waste sorting facilities managing a sizable operation and team.
“When I first took this position, many would ask me how can you do this type of job? Afterall, I am overseeing an operation with 80 trolly workers, and six sorting workers. Being a woman and managing the team is source of relief to other women taking part in the project they always tell me that they feel safer under the leadership of a woman. They also tell me that because they have a woman manager, their families feel more comfortable allowing them to work,” said Hamda.
“I like helping people even it was with a word especially those who are alone. I don’t like to see people being exploited. … Maybe I am different because I have to be the mother and the father for my son, I don’t have an option but to be strong.”Hamda is one of more than 10,000 refugees who benefited from Oxfam’s temporary income opportunities during the past three years.
A community’s protagonistToday, Hamda’s only child is nine years old, he goes to school and aspires to become and architect, while Hamda is attending online classes to get a bachelor’s in business administration. She also engages with the community by providing literacy classes to adults and children in her surroundings.
“My son says he wants to become an architect to build us a house and build houses for those in need,” said the mother with a smile.
“I like helping people even it was with a word especially those who are alone. I don’t like to see people being exploited. … Maybe I am different because I have to be the mother and the father for my son, I don’t have an option but to be strong,” added Hamda.
Working with Oxfam and other agencies, Hamda remains engaged with her community through these classes, and is a go-to person for questions on how to work or volunteer with INGOs in the camp. She shows a great deal of bonhomie and seeks to expand her work on literacy in the camp.
“I feel that my experience is one of success, hope, innovation and meaningfulness. This job I have, and previous ones helped me become who I am today, and helped me become independent and an active person in my community and provide for my child,” concluded Hamda.
Read more Features
Jordan News