The presence of her black bag in a women’s sewing workshop raised numerous questions about what it contained, and it was a question.
Nesma Sahi, 34 years old, introduces herself to everyone, places her bag beside her, and immediately begins taking training lessons, according to one of the trainers, she was persistent and inquisitive about the smallest details, until she acquired a good skill in a short period of time.
Nesma is the second wife of a man who suffers from a herniated disc on a chronic basis, she has three children, one of them has (Anthalassemia) and the other has chronic diabetes, and she relies on waste collection to support two families simultaneously.
Nesma describes her daily routine, stating, “I work as waste collector, I get up at three a.m., put on work clothes, and begin collecting plastic boxes and cardboard from landfills in Baghdad’s affluent neighborhoods, as well as empty soda bottles and leftover bread.
“After the collection stage, the sorting stage begins, during which I separate each type and then sell it, as it is our sole source of income.”, Nesma added.
She was credited with changing the course of Nesma’s life, after meeting one of the volunteers with the Iraqi Red Crescent Society(IRCS), Nesma inquired about her desire to attend one of the IRCS’s sewing workshops, to which she agreed without hesitation.
The IRCS has organized a workshop to teach women the skills of sewing and detailing, and more than 16 impoverished and widowed women attended in order to learn how to start their own businesses.
Nesma explains the purpose of the black bag, stating: “After collecting and selling waste, I replace my work clothes, place them in the bag, and proceed to the workshop, the workshop was extremely beneficial, I learned how to take measurements, dimension, and detail fabrics, as well as how to use the machine properly and optimally. Embroidery and preservation.
The IRCS assists needy women and widows in securing employment that allows them to live a decent life, and provided each participant in the workshop with a modern sewing machine and its accessories to assist them in establishing private projects.
“I decided to pursue sewing as a profession for myself and my family, and I will not return to waste collection,” Nesma says. “I began sewing for my children and the children of neighbors, and I received tremendous encouragement from them, and I intend to continue developing the work by learning about sewing arts and modern fashion, and I will never carry the black bag again.”

It is worth noting that this project was implemented by the Red Crescent – Women’s Organization in cooperation with the Japanese government and the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs / Department of Labor and Vocational Training