Cash assistance transforms Mishan’s workshop

Iraq | 2023 | CBPF

Iraq, Hatra. Under the hot sun, Mishan carefully soldered the edge of an oil drum. Nearby, his brother worked with an angle grinder, sending the sound of screeching metal around the courtyard.

Mishan gestured to the arch-covered garage opposite, and led us through the twisted debris into the shade of the arches. From the other end of the passageway one of his employees was hammering sheet metal. “This is the quiet part of the workshop,’ Mishan said, laughing.

Mishan founded his workshop with cash assistance from People in Need, funded by the Iraq Humanitarian Fund. With the money he received, he purchased the initial tools and scrap iron necessary to build his business. “So many people benefitted from PIN’s project, and I was one of them. It helped me a lot. With the first round of cash assistance I was able to pay off my debts, and with the money left over I bought the materials and essentials for my workshop,” he said.

With the cash he continued to receive from PIN, Mishan was able to save some money. “For now, I don’t have a house of my own. I live with my family,” he said, “I’m trying to save money so I can buy a house.” He raised a finger and tapped the top pocket of his overshirt. “I keep my savings right here,” he added.
Mishan called his son over and rested his arm over the boy’s shoulder. “I’m married and I have four children, with another one on the way, so of course we need a house!”

Mishan is one of several people in Hatra who benefitted from PIN’s cash assistance programme.
“The cash helped me a lot,” he said. “Without it, I wouldn’t have been able to do anything. I could barely pay my bills before, but now all I think about is buying our new home.”

With the flexibility of cash, people facing a crisis can prioritize their own assistance. For Mishan, that meant paying down debt and investing in workshop tools. The assistance allowed him to start saving and planning for the future, for himself and his family.

Adapted from a story from People in Need.

 More about the Iraq Humanitarian Fund

• CASH ASSISTANCE TRANSFORMS MISHAN’S WORKSHOP