Humans of South - Humans of Kurdistan

“Previously we used to do farming, and that was extremely difficult, but we had to do it because in Smaquly there isn't much more you can do due to its geographical location. We also had people who were in the Peshmarga forces, and they made their living that way. Nevertheless, once the dam was built it opened a door for more opportunities because now people come here as tourists, and it has also become a way between Erbil and Sulaymaniyah. The people living around here took the opportunity and opened shops, I opened a shop where I sell things that usually tourists buy. My brothers and their kids work at the shop, and I welcome every guest to this little tea shop here”. ...

Mar 11 2021

March 11, 2021

“I was born in Hanara village and I still live there. I have been married for 7 years, I was only 18 when I got married, and we have two kids now. I have never been to school, and I can't write; I can't even write my kids' name along with mine. When I see people writing, then I realize the mistake I have made not going to school. I wish I could read and write now. Maybe I could have worked somewhere if I was literate. However, now when I think of it, I either have to be shepherd or a farmer until I die. I have hope for my kids, and I always tell their mother to help them in their education. I don't want them to become like me because I truly see myself as deaf and unable to speak at some places”. ...

Mar 10 2021

March 10, 2021

“I was born in 1967 in Akre. I have spent 31 years (half of my life) selling coffee in markets and streets. I first started differently in Mousil. I had people's attention in the area, I had a portable coffee machine and was always serving it hot. If you take a look at it, it has two sides, one for bitter coffee and the other for sweet coffee because everyone has their own tastes in here and even in Mousil. I worked 9 years in Mousil and then came to Kurdistan. I first tried working in Duhok, it was very new there, I was selling hot coffee in Winter on the streets”. “I was making sus in the Summer, and I was using natural ingredients from Kurdistan to make it. I was getting the ingredients from tree roots near river shores. There was a high demand on it because people used it as medicine for their stomachs or diabetes. After several years in Duhok I went back to Akre, and I now work 3 or 4 hours in the streets to make a living for myself and my family, and I have made a lot of friends working. If I don't show up every day to provide sus and coffee to my customers, they'll call me to see if something is wrong”. ...

Mar 07 2021

March 7, 2021

“I have been working in this tea house for 50 years. Shaab tea house is a very beautiful memorial for my father and Sulaimani in general, I work here daily with my brothers. This tea house has become the source of a living for us, and is considered as a hub for educated people in Sulaimani. We try for the place to be more than just a tea house, we try to make it a place for gathering for writers and artists. We have turned the walls into a museum to exhibit the famous people of the city. We have a library that benefits many people. It is a very nice feeling that Shaab tea house is always associated with Sulaimani city. On Fridays, artists and politicians visit us and take photos. As long as I live, I will work at this house, I will continue working here because it is like a second house for me”. ...

Mar 06 2021

March 6, 2021

“If I don't open my shop for one day, it'll immediately affect my mental health. I have never been to school and have started selling fish since I was 13. I remember that I was working for a Yezidi man, they used to bring the fish from Duhok, and I was selling them here, until I opened my own shop. We are 9 family members, and our living relies on fish. After my shop's success, my father, brother, and brother in law joined me as well. Currently, my father and brother take fish and sell them in the villages around Barda Rash area. Thankfully, we have credibility among people. Because I have been working with fish for as long as I remember, I can recognize where they are from immediately, I can also recognize the different types of fish. Currently, the most demanded fish is the Red fish (Sora Masi), which we bring from Fishkhapur in Duhok. I can never leave my job because it is now a part of my life”. ...

Mar 04 2021

March 4, 2021

“I was a little kid when I started this work, I started cleaning kitchen tiles first. I will never forget the day that I was promoted to clean the dishes. I was so small that I couldn't reach the sink and I had to use a plank to elevate myself. I kept going through all those difficulties until I became a chef. I have been a chef for eight years now, and what I know is a product of all those past years. Thank God that I have a good salary now. Every day I prepare food for 80 people, and not once anyone has had a negative comment about my food, that makes me really happy. I help making food at home as much as I can. I hope that I get married one day and I can cook with my wife”. ...

Feb 28 2021

February 28, 2021

“During the 60s, I was working at a sewing shop for five years, until I owned my own shop. I used to sew mens' and womens' clothes back then because there wasn't that much work to only work for one gender back then. Then in 1974 we moved to Iran, my love for my job made me take my sewing machine with me. I started working in a factory that only Kurds used to work at, we were making Peshmarga clothes. I remember that we didn't have electricity, so we used pedals and used portable lights. During the sixties all people used to wear Kurdish clothes except for government employees and teachers. Unfortunately, now it is the opposite, most people only wear Kurdish clothes for occasions. I have been doing sewing for sixty years, and I have taught my kids as well. I didn't want my kids to turn to bad things, so I took them to my shop with myself and they were going to school at the same time. Now that I have gotten old and my eyes have gotten weak, they come here often and help me out”. ...

Feb 25 2021

February 25, 2021

“Making Klash (Kurdish type of shoes) is a craft, and it's very important that you have the talent and can make what the customers demand. I have tried to innovate in making Klash, I have made them in several different colors. Klash is originally white, but I have made black ones, too. When Klash gets wet, its colors are ruined, but I have made them even waterproof, and that's very new in the industry. I have also made Klash with laces. Sometimes people demand Klash that matches the color of their Kurdish clothes, and I make it for them. I really like changing things, I like bringing in new things while keeping the authenticity of the work. On many occasions, foreigners come to us, they buy Klash and take them home with them”. ...

Feb 20 2021

February 20, 2021

“I am 60 years old, and I haven't gotten into school yet, but I can write the names of the people who drink tea and want to pay later on at my tea house. I have been serving breakfast and tea to my guests at my tea house for 53 years non-stop. I come to the shop every morning at 5 AM until evening prayer. Many tourists come to my shop, too. Keeping the place clean and my relationship with my guests have made me really love what I do. Any tourist comes to Akre won't leave until they have my tea. I have learned most dialects in Kurdish language due to my job. I have several recognitions and awards from the cultural and tourism centers. Many artists who visit Akre for concerts and parties visit my shop and it turns into a hub of artistic conversations. Examples of artists who have visited me are Salih Amedi, Tahsin Taha, Ayaz and Ardawan Zakholi”. ...

Feb 18 2021

February 18, 2021

“For as long as I remember, we have had birds in our house as pets. I have always loved birds and wanted to have one of every kind. Eventually, I thought about turning this into a business, I asked for support from my wife, and she agreed to fully support me. In 2011, I opened a shop for selling and keeping birds and I'm still doing it. I also have a side project at home where I am planning to breed every type of Kurdish birds, which is managed by my wife. My life has become very difficult due to this job because I can never leave my birds. I only couldn't visit my birds during the quarantine for two days, and 67 of them died. I help a lot of college students and instructors, sometimes they come and take a few birds for research free of charge. I love my job and I will never leave it because it is a way to make a living for myself and many of my friends”. ...

Feb 16 2021

February 16, 2021