More than ten years after ISIS first swept across Iraq, nearly one million internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees remain in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI). Many of these families, especially Yezidis who survived the 2014 genocide in Sinjar, continue to live in camps where opportunities for education, employment, and skills training are extremely limited. Interrupted schooling, prolonged trauma, and restricted access to the job market have made it especially difficult for young men and women to pursue meaningful livelihoods or economic independence.

Against this challenging backdrop, the Entrepreneurship Development programme (EDP), implemented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) with support from the Government of Japan, was delivered from November 17–29, 2025 inside Kabarto IDP Camp in Duhok Governorate, KRI. Kabarto is home to over 3,500 families, or nearly 17,000 individuals. The programme aims to strengthen entrepreneurial capacities, build personal confidence, and equip participants with practical skills needed to start or expand micro or small businesses. It is part of UNIDO’s broader efforts to support economic recovery and promote long-term resilience for displaced communities across Iraq.

A total of 22 participants completed the training, including 21 IDPs and one member of the host community. Most trainees were residents of Kabarto IDP Camp, while some trainees joined from Sharya Camp. Despite the ongoing challenges of camp life, the participants arrived eager to learn and determined to transform their ideas into viable livelihood opportunities. Throughout the training, they gained foundational business and entrepreneurial skills, including business planning, marketing, financial management, and identifying viable business opportunities. These topics were integrated with sessions on communication, self-awareness, and confidence-building, enabling participants to understand their strengths and apply them effectively to their business ideas.

Now that the training has been completed, UNIDO’s training team will review all business plans and select the strongest and most successful proposals to receive material support, such as equipment or tools needed for trainees to launch or expand their businesses. This assistance will enable selected trainees to translate their newly acquired knowledge into tangible livelihoods. Even for those who may not be selected for material support, the training itself provided skills and confidence that will encourage them in their future ambitions, whether through self-financing, family support, or community-based partnerships.

Among the participants were four trainees who shared their experiences of the EDP training with UNIDO. Their stories reflect both the realities of displacement and the transformative impact of the training.

Afrah Suliman Hassan, a 23-year-old from Sinjar now living in Sharya, already owns a small beauty salon and hopes to expand it. Living with her mother and two younger sisters after losing her father to cancer, she said the programme significantly strengthened her confidence. “The most important thing I learned was how to develop myself and be more confident,” she explained. Inspired by real life success stories shared during the training, she added, “The instructors told us about people who built successful businesses after taking this training. If they can do it, I also can do it.” Afrah hopes to motivate other young women as well, saying, “I don’t want to see other girls without work. I want to encourage them in this work or any work.”

Another trainee, 25-year-old Helder Atto Ibraheem from Sharya Camp, owns the only flower and gift shop in the area and hopes to expand it. Supporting a family of ten, he contributes directly to household expenses and rent. He said the training broadened his understanding of key business skills. “The training helped a lot, especially in understanding how to improve sales, how to talk to customers, marketing, and understanding what I am best at,” he noted. He was especially motivated by the trainer, Ms. Ramina Yousif, stating, “Her teaching style and examples helped me so much. She helped me think about the next steps to enlarge and develop my business.” While he hopes for material support, he added, “Even without support, the knowledge from the training will help me.”

Muna Naef Maro, a 29-year-old from Sinjar now living in Kabarto IDP Camp, hopes to open the camp’s first women’s gym. As the eldest of four siblings caring for her brothers and sisters since both parents passed away, she has been working as a trainer for eight months and already has some basic equipment at home. “I had very little knowledge about starting my own business and was always asking friends,” she said. “Now with the training, I know how to start my business.” She said marketing lessons were especially helpful and shared that more than sixty women are already interested in joining. “There is a big need for this kind of business,” she explained. “Women here are really depressed and don’t have any activities.” She added that the training alone has prepared her to move forward: “This training will help me regardless of support.”

The youngest of the four highlighted trainees, 20-year-old Issa Ali Issa from Kabarto IDP Camp, supports a family of nine as the only income earner. He currently works in a clothing shop making just 250,000 IQD (approximately $190 USD) per month but dreams of opening his own men’s clothing store. “The training helped a lot to improve my idea of starting a business,” he said. “The most informative sessions were asset management, marketing, how to manage a shop, and how to bring customers.” Seeing other trainees’ determination strengthened his own. “The other trainees helped me improve my confidence,” he shared. He hopes a business of his own will allow him to involve and support his family, adding, “If I get support to open my business, later I can bring my family to help at the store.”

The trainers also witnessed remarkable progress. Ms. Ramina Yousif, an EDP trainer from the Ministry of Industry and Minerals in Baghdad, described the participants’ evolution with pride. “The participants gained good self-confidence, which will help them as entrepreneurs to advance their projects through effective communication, and they also developed a clear vision for setting their goals,” she said.

Reflecting on the overall impact of the training, Ramina explained, “Through the topics covered and discussed during the course, participants gained a vision that enables them to be self-reliant by choosing intellectually stimulating and competitive projects that will serve the residents of the camps and surrounding areas.”

By the end of the 11-day programme, each trainee had prepared a complete business plan tailored to the needs and gaps of the local market. On the final day, all 22 participants presented their business ideas before the training team. Their projects ranged widely, from gyms and beauty salons to flower shops, sewing, small retail stores, home-based production, photography, and service-oriented businesses, reflecting both individual creativity and the unmet needs within the camp community. The presentations demonstrated not only technical understanding but also newfound confidence and clarity of purpose.

The Entrepreneurship Development programme in Kabarto IDP Camp underscores the critical role that entrepreneurship can play in helping displaced communities regain stability and dignity. In an environment where formal employment opportunities are scarce, entrepreneurship offers one of the few pathways toward sustainable income generation and long-term independence. The programme, implemented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) with support from the Government of Japan, provided not only technical knowledge but also renewed hope for young men and women who have endured years of displacement.

As many trainees expressed, the programme helped them reconnect with their abilities, rebuild their self-esteem, and imagine a future shaped not by loss or limitation, but by possibility. This foundation of confidence and practical skills represents a meaningful step toward stronger, more resilient communities across Kabarto, Sharya, and beyond.