Syrian women refugees in Lebanon provide for their households

In a special feature today, Al Hayat newspaper drew attention to the continuous suffering of displaced Syrian women who strive to make the most of their potentials to provide for their families. Faten, for example, has found salvation in sewing after she received a sewing machine from a charity that supports refugees and encourages them to engage in small businesses in order to secure a modest income, Al Hayat wrote. Besides sewing, women refugees are functional in other trades, especially when the male breadwinner is absent. One of the jobs at hand, Al Hayat mentioned, is catering the traditional food (mouneh). Karima, an expert in mouneh products (the Syrian version) , excels in making the famous ‘makdous’ (aubergine pickles) which she sells to the Lebanese or to fellow refugees. However, Karima grieved, the capital remains a stumbling block. “If the sales are weak, I can hardly find money to buy the needed aubergines, pecans, olive oil or other basic ingredients needed for the makdous,” Karima told the reporter. Al Hayat also highlighted another Syrian women refugee vocation, namely handworks, which are largely promoted by community groups who organize small-scale exhibitions to showcase the talents and aptitudes of women crafts workers, or provide the raw material workers need. (Al Hayat, March 2, 2017)