August 25, 2023
News
Sami Nouh Daboul is a persistent farmer from Iraq. His family are Assyrian Christians who were targeted by ISIS during its rule over Iraq. They had to flee to safety but found their way back home after the so-called Islamic State left. Sami received crucial assistance from Caritas Czech Republic to rebuild his farm and get back on his feet.
Supporting farmers in Iraq to recover
When ISIS attacked Hamdaniya, one of the oldest Christian districts in Iraq, in 2014, Sami and his family fled to safety to avoid persecution. ISIS destroyed Christians shrines, killed or forcibly converted minorities living in the area. During the darkest times of ISIS rule of Hamdaniya from 2014 until late 2016, the district became a focal point for the extremists’ presence. ISIS planned its attacks from Hamdaniya and aimed to destroy the coexistence of local religious groups. Over 125,000 people were forced to flee the region for safety, among them Sami who ran away to Erbil in Iraqi Kurdistan. He did not believe he would ever come back. But eventually, ISIS left and Sami’s family was able to return home.
“In Erbil, where we fled to safety, we shared a house with 28 other people. I wanted to return to Hamdaniya but when I came back after ISIS left, I saw that my farm was completely destroyed,“ Sami says, describing the time his family was displaced and the shock he experienced upon returning to his home. However, he was determined to continue his life as a farmer.
“My family has been farming for generations. Before ISIS, I mainly grew lentils, greens and barley,” says Sami. Thanks to Caritas Czech Republic, Sami received a 10-day training focused on modern farming methods, including theory and practice in the field, and enough money to buy farming equipment based on his needs. In addition, Sami also received a greenhouse to increase his harvest.
Today, Sami is once again farming on his own restored farm, where he grows peppers, eggplants, cucumbers, greens, olives, beans, corn, onions, garlic, carrots and many more delicious vegetables. „I am happy that I can now grow a much wider range of produce and that thanks to the greenhouse, I can harvest in winter as well. I’m also selling the produce at a nearby market,“ Sami says, adding that farming allows him to provide for 16 other family members.
Caritas Czech Republic in Iraq
Since Islamic State invasion of Iraq in 2014, the country has faced numerous challenges. Many of them still affect people’s lives and work. Millions of Iraqis were forced to flee their homes and to this day, many people do not have adequate shelter, access to essential services or a good source of income. Caritas Czech Republic has been helping in Iraq since 2015.
We support Iraqis in restoring their businesses or starting new ones. We help farmers to rebuild their fields and provide them with modern equipment and necessary training. We also provide shelter for internally displaced people who are unable to return home due to the volatile security situation.
We are helping vulnerable communities in Iraq thanks to the support of the Czech Bishops' Conference.
