Doha Knits Her Future, Stitch by Stitch

Doha, a 38-year-old mother of two from Aleppo, Syria, was living a quiet life with her family until conflict broke out. In 2014, she fled to Türkiye, where she has been residing in the province of Kahramanmaraş for over a decade now. 

Facing initial difficulties in finding a suitable job and earning an income, she turned to the work she already knew how to do: sewing.  

“I have very long experience in sewing. My mother was a tailor in Syria. I learned this profession since I was a child.” 

Through this, Doha has been working each day to support her family, never giving up.

Back in Syria, Doha used to sew various traditional clothes for her customers. "There is a district in Aleppo with a large Kurdish population. I started sewing and making traditional Kurdish clothes. My customers liked my products.” 

During her early days in Türkiye, however, it was not as easy for Doha to find a new group of customers, nor did she have any production equipment. Nevertheless, she took the first step and started sewing again, using her home as a workplace. 

“I started from nothing. I bought a small manual machine and began sewing again at home. That was the first step of my business,” she recalls. “Without adequate equipment, I earned about 150 Turkish Lira a day, which was not enough to meet my family's needs.” 

Doha felt ready to take the next steps. “I wanted to improve myself and develop my business. One day, a customer advised me to contact IOM and apply for support.” 

Doha was one of 347 entrepreneurs who received support in 2024 through the International Organization for Migration (IOM)’s cash grant programme, aimed at helping grantees establish or expand their micro and small businesses. She was selected for the strength and comprehensiveness of her business plan, her expressed motivation and her expertise in sewing.  

With three new automatic sewing machines, Doha expanded her business, enhanced her production, and hired two new female employees seasonally during the last summer period. Committed to supporting her family, she aims to generate a sustainable income. 

“Sewing increases especially in the summer season, since there are a lot of events like holidays, weddings and parties. Last summer, my income increased even more, and I hired two girls temporarily for that period.” 

Looking to the future with more hope, Doha dreams of one day establishing her own sewing workshop. 

“My customer profile is very wide. I now have many customers of different gender and age groups, from Turkish and Syrian communities. I'm interested in opening a small workshop, and maybe later a factory to reach all markets.” 

From Syria to Türkiye, Doha’s story emphasizes the potential of supported, empowered and resilient women to contribute to their families and communities.  

Doha’s assistance was made possible with financial support from the Republic of Korea.