“In real life, it is almost impossible to obtain job opportunities with academic qualifications only,” therefore, Mr. H.M.S., a highly motivated participant of Peace Winds Japan (PWJ)’s vocational training course, told a PWJ staff the importance of obtaining vocational skills to gain more job opportunities. Since September 2020, PWJ has been providing vocational training courses in House Maintenance (electricity and plumbing), Beauty Salon, and Leadership to internally displaced persons (IDPs), women and youth from host communities inside and outside Shariya IDPs camp in Shariya Sub District, Duhok Governorate, Northern Iraq, in order to improve their livelihood skills or to develop human resources that can contribute to community cooperation. We will report voices received from the participants of the vocational training courses in four separate articles. In this third article, we will share with you the voice of Mr. H.M.S., who participated in the vocational training course for House Maintenance.
 

Participants receiving the lecture very seriously in the course.
Mr. H.M.S sat in the middle of the front row.

 
For the first article, please go to: https://peace-winds.org/en/news/2564
For the second article, please go to: https://peace-winds.org/en/news/2608
 
Mr. H.M.S. (23) currently lives in Shariya IDPs camp with his ten family members. Immediately after the armed attack by Islamic State in Iraq and Levant (ISIL) happened in his hometown, Sinjar in August 2014, he moved with his family to the center of the Duhok Governorate. First, his family stayed in a closed school building, then moved to this camp in search for a better life.
 
Mr. H.M.S. has a Bachelor of Basic Education from Department of History. However, finding a job by utilizing his educational background was impossible. Still, he did not give up his hope to improve his life. He once tried to start up a small business by establishing a shop of food items. Unfortunately, because of the economic situation, he had to close his own business. In poverty after the loss in his business, he checked local job markets and found that “in real life, it is almost impossible to obtain job opportunities with academic education only. And, it is preferable to obtain vocational skills that enable the person to obtain more job opportunities.’’
 
It was after a while when he found out that PWJ opened registration for the vocational training on House Maintenance skills and he immediately registered the course. In the first part of the training course, he learned basic knowledge and skills for electricity and plumbing maintenance in in-class and field activities. He was highly motivated to gain new skills and committed to those activities. Mr. H.M.S. said that the internship program followed after the in-class and field learning was a great chance to get introduced to the business world in the area where he gained the skills through the training course. Being successfully completed the training course, currently, he is actively working independently with the gained skills for neighbors, earning income for himself and his family, and seeking for better opportunities.
 

Practical experiences in the field using actual tools and materials that are used in the business market. Mr. H.M.S stood behind in the right side of the photo.

 
While being encouraged by the active commitments of participants, PWJ continues to provide its vocational training courses in order to improve their livelihood skills or to develop human resources that can contribute to community cooperation.
 
This activity was funded by Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan and generous donations from our supporters. Thank you for your continuing support.