IRAQ / SYRIA REFUGEE DESIGNER

Amina, a young widow and refugee mother used her sewing and design skills to see her family and her business not only survive but thrive in Domiz camp, Iraq. UNHCR

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:02:10
• Production Date: 3 October 2019
• Asset Language: English
• Corporate Name: UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES - UNHCR
• Subject Topical: REFUGEES
• Geographic Subject: SYRIA
• MAMS Id: 2462576
• Parent Id: 2462576
• Alternate Title: unifeed191003f

Description

STORY: IRAQ / SYRIA REFUGEE DESIGNER
TRT: 2:10
SOURCE: UNHCR
RESTRICTIONS: PLEASE CREDIT UNHCR ON SCREEN
LANGUAGE: ARABIC /NATS

DATELINE: 24 JULY – 1 AUGUST 2019, DOMIZ REFUGEE CAMP, IRAQ

Shotlist

1. Med shot, Amina on the sewing machine
2. Close up, Amina’s face
3. Med shot, top shot Amina working on the sewing machine
4. Close up, Amina’s hand with the needle of the sewing machine.
5. Close up, needle
6. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Amina, Syrian refugee:
“I love my work, and I want to be famous as a professional dressmaker.”
7. Med shot, Amina sewing.
8. Med shot, Amina taking mesurments of a customer.
9. Med shot, Amina’s hand writing down the measurments.
10. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Amina, Syrian refugee:
“I try always to develop myself. I look at new designs on the internet, and I try to keep up with new trends.”
11. Med shot, Amina and a customer discussing fabrics.
12. Close up, Amina’s hand working on the sewing machine.
13. Med shot, customer looking at the fabrics in Amina’s store.
14. Close up, customer’s hand touching the fabrics.
15. Med shot, Amina teaching women about sewing and fashion design.
16. Close up, Shahinaz looking at Amina
17. Close up, Amina’s hand while cutting fabric.
18. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Shahinaz, Amina trainee:
“She taught us how to do kids clothing, Kurdish traditional, long gowns.”
19. Med shot, Amina and her students in the community center
20. Med shot Shahinaz looking at Amina working.
21. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Amina, Syrian refugee:
“Even if they are not able to open a shop, if they work in a factory or workshop, they should be able to work in confidence.”
22. Close up, Amina’s face
23. Med shot, Amina showing her students how to cut fabrics

Storyline

Amina, a young widow and refugee mother used her sewing and design skills to see her family and her business not only survive but thrive in Domiz camp, Iraq.

Widowed at 39, with seven children and three grandchildren Syrian refugee Amina had to find a way to keep her family going. Her skill as a seamstress provided her with a way to be creative and earn a living. She started small, but her skills saw she grow her shop into a successful business. Today she designs and sews clothes for refugees, foreign clients and host communities. Her speciality is women dresses and wedding gowns. She also volunteers at a UNHCR training centre to teach other refugees and local woman tailoring and dressmaking.

Over 32,390 Syrian refugees live in Domiz Camp. Most left Syria after armed conflicts started in 2011.