A clothing workshop in the southern city of Sidon is offering jobs to female Syrian refugees to support their living in the country.
The clothing workshop, dubbed as “Mother Workshop,” provides jobs for mothers aged from 30 to 60. Most of the mothers are refugees who had experienced wars. The workshop gives them a half-year training on sewing before they could enter the workshop to do needlework.
After these women in the Mother Workshop have mastered the skills, they would play their role at every link of the clothing production lines. The clothes they produce are either donated to local charity schools or sold to poor communities at low prices.
“The Syrian crisis has affected Lebanon and added burdens to Lebanese society. Syrian refugees in Lebanon, especially in Sidon, have a big demand in various aspects such as clothing,” said Mohammed Juweidi, head of charity work under the Mother Workshop.
It is estimated that there are about 1.5 million Syrian refugees living in Lebanon. Female refugees are among the vulnerable groups of them. It is important for them to master a skill to make a living, especially for those single mothers. In the Mother Workshop, female refugees have stable jobs and live a decent life.
“Female Syrian refugees who work in the workshop have a salary, which is a sufficient financial source for themselves and their families to support their living and buy living necessities. These mothers can afford to rent a house in Lebanon, even though the rents here are rather high. They can afford a decent life for their families, which usually are single-parent families,” said Ghassan Hankir, member of Lebanon Cares Humanitarian Charity Group.