Zhara’s story
Originally from Baqooba, a town in Diyala in central Iraq, Zhara is a 37-year-old mother of six. She moved to Baghdad after getting married but was displaced in 2006 and returned to Baqooba with her family, a place she once again considers home.
Just two years after their displacement, in 2008, the family’s world was once again turned upside down when Zhara’s husband, Ahmed, was arrested. He was released in 2012 but subsequently arrested two years later and remains in prison to this day.
Confident of her husband’s innocence, Zhara hired a lawyer. “I’ve been trying to advocate for my husband since 2008 and I am still paying a lawyer to look into his case as he is wrongly accused.”
Since her husband's first arrest, she has taken on the role of the head of the household. To support her children, Zhara began baking breads and pastries, selling them to her neighbours. For a few years, this provided enough income to pay rent, feed her family, and keep her children in school.
Yet, when Zhara’s landlord sold their house, she moved to a new neighbourhood. “We moved to a different area and because I didn’t know anyone, I couldn’t continue my business as no one would buy from me,” she says.
Unable to earn an income, Zhara turned to the government for help, yet with expired documentation she was not eligible for income support. Zhara also felt mistreated by the staff. “As soon as they realised my husband is in prison, they told me that they don’t help the families of terrorists and that I wasn’t entitled to any support.”
This lack of support forced Zhara to take her eldest son out of school at the age of eleven to work, where he faced discrimination due to his father's imprisonment. “When his employer found out his father was in prison and accused of being ISIS, he started to be unkind.
He was supposed to pay 15,000 dinar a day, but he started to pay just 5,000,” Zhara recalls.
This situation deeply affected Zhara's mental health. “I was so upset, and it really affected my mental health. I love my son so much and I wanted him to finish school and have a bright future. Because of my husband’s arrest, this is the life my son got.”
All four of Zhara’s daughters subsequently left school without completing their education, as the family could not afford the costs of uniforms, books, and equipment.
Zhara's life took a positive turn when she met the DRC team in her village. “I met DRC when they were in my village one day. I asked what they were doing and they explained they had a centre and the kind of support they offered. I visited the centre and everyone was so welcoming, it was like being hugged,” she describes.
Zhara received case management help, joined psycho-social support sessions, and had the assistance of a lawyer. Through DRC, she realised the importance of renewing her identity card to register for government support. “I needed to renew my identity card so that I could register for support from the Government as I live in poverty,” she explains.
However, this was a long and complicated process due to her husband's imprisonment. While working on renewing her documents, Zhara also received multi-purpose cash support from DRC. Zhara continued to receive multipurpose cash support until she was supported to receive the Government’s social safety net.
“It was like there was suddenly light in my life. It helped my mental health so much. For the first time in a very long time, we did not have to worry about food” she shares.
With monthly support from the Government now secured, Zhara is focused on ensuring her youngest son can complete his education. “I am so pleased for him,” she says with relief.
Meeting DRC has also helped Zhara overcome her fear of interacting with people. “Before I met DRC I was afraid of interacting with people, but now I find it easier. I used to be scared because of the abuse I could face, but now I know my rights much better.”