Syrian refugee in KRI’s camp opens Fatayer shop
Syrian refugee Hamza Khalil in his Fatayer shop in Qushtapa camp in Erbil – North Press
ERBIL, KRI, Iraq (North Press) – Hamza Khalil, 36, wakes up early every day to prepare the dough and light a fire in the oven. The Syrian refugee makes pastries at his bakery in Qushtapa camp, near Erbil, in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI). He kneads, bakes, and prepares pizzas and fatayer (a type of Levantine pizza), and delivers them to customers on his motorcycle, free of charge.
After six years of working long hours at one of the camp’s bakeries on a meager salary, he learned the trade and opened his own fatayer shop.
Khalil, who was displaced from his native Qamishli a decade ago, told North Press, “We were forced to take refuge in the KRI because of the war in Syria. I found myself living in a tent with my elderly parents, so I decided to look for a job. I worked in a bakery for several years.”
Since the beginning of the war in Syria in 2011, thousands of Syrian families have taken refuge in the KRI. About 250.000 Syrian refugees are spread across the three KRI governorates of Erbil, Duhok, and Sulaymaniyah, according to the UNHCR.
The Syrian refugees were able to launch their own businesses and become self-dependent, ensuring a better life for themselves and their families.
Khalil faced many obstacles on his way to become a business owner. He decided to take on exhausting work conditions and little pay in order to improve his situation. Taking small steps, he was able to open his own shop with the help of friends.
“At first, I bought an oven, later a dough kneader, then a refrigerator and other equipment. Gradually my hard work paid off,” Khalil explains.
Khalil lives with his wife and children, along with his parents, inside Qushtapa camp. The fatayer shop is their only source of income. “I depend on my shop for a living, although the profits are modest. However, it has provided a safe financial space for us; we do not need to depend on anyone else now”.
The reason people love and buy his fatayer, he says, is not only because of their taste, but “because they feel the baker’s love and empathy for them,” he says.
“I have experienced the bitterness of being a refugee. I was inspired by the idea of giving. Therefore, I sell at half the price, make free deliveries and offer free fatayer to any family in need. This idea has even improved my popularity and the success of my business.”
It is not only the aroma that draws refugee families to buy from Khalil’s fatayer shop. It is also his sweet smile, and the love for his job and fellow countrymen.
“We have to empathize with one another and offer unconditional help. It is well-known how people in this camp are living. We have to stand together to face and overcome the pains of being a refugee.”