The Jewelry Line Helping Refugee Women Support Their Families

These earrings and the dozens of others she makes every day as part of her job at the women's social enterprise Small Projects Istanbul will be sold online at Muhra.org Shayma fled from her home in Mosul after the Iraqi city was taken over by ISIS She has lived in Istanbul with her husband and five children for three years, and found work at the Small Projects Istanbul, an independent NGO that operates a community center for displaced Syrians and Iraqis.

In addition to providing daycare and educational and technical training classes, Small Projects has its own women's social enterprise, The Muhra Store, where displaced women who have moved to Istanbul are hired and taught how to handcraft jewelry and clothing Proceeds from all sales go directly back to the makers, allowing the women to make money to support their families, a huge help considering how hard it is for refugees to find legal work in Turkey In addition to the earrings, the women of Muhra make necklaces and bracelets and hand sew t-shirts with inspiring Arab women on the front, including the Egyptian singer Um Kalthoum and the Lebanese pop star Feyrouz.

Thanks to Intrepid Travel for providing travel and accommodations; their Women's Expedition in Turkey, launching soon, takes travelers to Small Projects to meet the women of Muhra If you'd like to donate to Small Projects, you can do so through the Intrepid Foundation, which matches donations dollar-for-dollar. . Source