Initially, the programme established units in Nineva in northern Iraq, Baghdad in the central part of the country, and Basrah in the south, but it has now been expanded to cover six governorates. As a first step, the initiative worked to increase public awareness, establishing contacts with employers and arranging vocational training opportunities, not only in communities but also at training centres that served only those without disabilities. Khalil Ibraheem, who works in the training centre of the Ministry of Industry, trained nine deaf people to do work on electrical motors. Mr. Ibraheem at first refused, but then agreed to try for a week on condition that a worker from the programme join them to translate in sign language. During the week I noticed that there was not much difference in the capacities of the trainees who were deaf and those who were not, except for the use of sign language.
Training leads to a new livelihood.
The programme started five small income-generating projects in 1997. Despite a fear of failure, the spirit and confidence of the participants led to success, opening the door for more projects. By the end of 2000, the programme had established training and micro-credit projects for 260 participants. The fund manages loans to participants and uses money repaid to start new projects. The fund is now seeking participation by local banks and individuals to provide more resources.