Hussein the Tailor9

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Hussein the Tailor
Seeking refuge in your own country

A man’s journey to rebuilding a life for his wife and children.

As the sound of the sewing machine stopped for a second and he took a sip of his coffee, Hussein reminisced on the journey and the struggles he went through since the beginning of the crisis in Syria, almost nine years age.

“The crisis has completely changed my life, just like it did for most people in the country,” he said. The 38-year-old man used to live in the suburbs of Aleppo and owned a successful tailoring workshop. After the crisis erupted, Hussein’s whole life came to what felt like a very long stall. For four years, Hussein was forced to stay in a besieged village in Rural Aleppo, with no income and very harsh living circumstances.

After a while, Hussein decided to make the dangerous trip to Lebanon in the hopes of building a better life for his family there, who remained in Syria. “The trip to Lebanon was hard and long. I stayed there for seven months and worked at a construction site,” he added.

Back in Syria, his wife and five kids fled their village to Rural Damascus where Hussein then decided to join them. When he arrived, the father of five struggled to find a place to live and a good source of income. The family was forced to rent a place that had no windows, water or electricity. “We depended entirely on humanitarian aid,” he said. In order to make ends meet, Hussein worked as a porter for two years. “Life was as harsh as it can be. I used to work days and nights just to cover my family’s basic needs,” said Hussein with a sad look.

With the help of the Danish Refugee Council (DRC), Hussein applied for a small business grant and was accepted. After taking an Entrepreneurship course, he received a grant that allowed him to purchase the equipment he needed to reopen his sewing shop. “My whole life changed after I received that grant,” he said with a smile.

Today, the father of five is focused on giving his children the best education they can get. “A good education will give my children a chance at a better life,” he added. As a business owner, Hussein is working hard to grow his workshop and hire even more people, giving them the chance to rebuild their lives as well.

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