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On April 24th and 27th, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), in collaboration with local government officials and representatives from UN agencies and NGOs, marked the opening of 128 shops and the distribution of 20 motorbikes to beneficiaries in Darashakran and Basirma Camps in northern Iraq.
This project was implemented under the auspices of Regional Response Plan 5 and used similar methodology to IOM’s Community Revitalization Program. This project aimed to enhance the livelihoods of Syrians in refugee camps throughout the Kurdish region of Iraq by helping them gain access to rewarding employment and regular income.
Each individual shop and motorbike is jointly owned and run by two beneficiaries, identified by IOM through assessments of their vulnerability, the needs of their community, and their skills in establishing their own small business. In February 2014, beneficiaries learned essential entrepreneurial and managerial skills through IOM’s Business Development Services (BDS) training. Working together with IOM trainers, beneficiaries received guidance and instructions about the types of small businesses they could open and how to design their business plan.