War Child's Livelihood Grants Programme

When a country is hit by conflict, one of the first casualties is the very fabric of society. Families are torn apart and it is the children who end up suffering the most. Children who haven’t been orphaned by war are often abandoned by their parents as they are unable to cope with the costs of sending their children to school, or even feeding them. War Child’s Livelihood Grants Programme offers support to families that enable them to make a living and enough money to ensure that their children do not fall victim to poverty and lack of basic education.

Aside from War Child’s work with children in some of the most dangerous places in the world, much of our Livelihood Grants Programme goes to supporting the parents, or in many cases, parent of families so that they can work as an economically viable unit. The following case studies are just some of the people who have benefited from the Livelihood Grants Programme.

• Batol Razzaq is widow from Al Bu Subat village. Her husband, Saud, was killed in the insurgency. She is left to support three children: Ali who is ten, and Haider who is 8 years do not go to school. Abas, Batol’s baby, is not fed as regularly and as well as he should be. In fact, Batol struggles to feed and clothe all three of her children. Upon receiving a $400 livelihood grant from War Child and training from War Child’s veterinary doctor she has been able to buy a cow and successfully sell milk, butter and cheese. Batol now feeds her boys more regularly and they all go to school.

• Sami Rassaq is father to Mohammed, Hajar, Ali and Hassan. He is a blacksmith and was able to establish his own welding workshop through a livelihood grant from War Child of $400. Sami has also received regular training from War Child’s livelihood support team in business management. He is now earning enough money to pay the fees for all four of his children to go to school, which they would have otherwise been unable to do.

• Majid is a carpenter and has used his $400 grant to buy tools and wood. His son, Haider, had dropped out of school because he was unable to afford the school fees. Haider is now back in school because of the increased and more reliable income his Dad is able to generate. Schooling is not only a key socialising process for displaced children who suffer acute social exclusion in their host communities, but it is also a means of protection in its right – providing children with life skills, keeping them off the streets and away from dangerous play areas during the day.

• Yahia Thaidan was forced to leave Samarra because of the dramatic increase in violence there. He came to the Marsh Arab area with his wife and six children: two girls (Wahida and Hudda) and four boys (Hussam, Noor, Ghoson and Sajad). With nowhere to sleep they squatted in the school. Yahia received a livelihood grant from War Child and established his own grocery business. He not only rents a home for his family now, but all six children go to the school they were sleeping in.