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.
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.
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