NORŞAN ABDİ

Kobanê -Şinda Osib, member of the Syrian Free Women’s Foundation based in the Euphrates Region also known as Kobanê Canton of North and East Syria, told NuJINHA that the aim of the foundation is to organize training courses for women in the region.

The name of the Syrian Free Women’s Foundation was “Rojava Free Women’s Foundation” when it was founded in Cizire in 2014. But then, its name was changed into the Syrian Free Women’s Foundation to provide services in all cities of North and East Syria.

In 2018, the foundation opened an office in Kobanê Canton to organize training courses such as tailoring and language courses for women to offer them employment opportunities. The foundation also opened a children’s home for children, who lost their parents.

‘It has become a space for women to develop themselves’

Speaking about the activities and aims of the foundation, Şinda Osib said, “We, as the foundation, aim to empower women by organizing training courses so that they can join the labor force. The foundation has become a space for women to develop themselves and to raise awareness about women. In 2023, we will continue to open training courses for women to offer them employment opportunities. Women aged between 15 and 42 attend our courses. Children can stay in our Children’s Home until the age of 18. As it is known, Syria has suffered from a war for a long time. Children, who stay in the Children’s Home, are the children who lost their parents in the war. We make great efforts to meet their needs.”

‘710 women received certificates in 2022’

Reporting that the foundation carried out a health project and opened a health center to serve women in 2022, Şinda Osib said, “Now, we work to organize a health team. We held exhibitions in many cities such as Manbij, Sirin and Qamishlo to display handicrafts of women attending our courses. The aim of these exhibitions was to preserve the traditional handicrafts. In 2022, 200 women attended the hairdressing courses and they started their own business after receiving their certificates. 160 women attended the sewing courses and 200 women attended Kurdish and Arabic courses.”

‘We will develop new projects for women in 2023’

Speaking about projects of the foundation in 2023, she said, “We will keep organizing training courses in 2023. We will build a center for the children, who have stayed in the Children’s Home and completed the age of 18 to learn a profession. An education committee was formed by our foundation in cooperation with the commune and assemblies. Our education committee will keep working for women in 2023. Every woman can attend our courses. Our foundation is ready to support all women, educate them and create job opportunities for them. In 2023, we will continue to serve our society, women and children by developing new projects.”