Even from a distance, one can see the energy and life radiating from Sabah. The mother of two has a fire in her eyes, and a charismatic personality to suit. With six-year-old Aseel and four-year-old Osama in tow, and with number three on the way, Sabah could hardly control her excitement on a recent warm and sunny Thursday afternoon.
Living near the Jordan River Foundation center, Sabah didn't wait for them to contact her about a new project called Threads of Hope - a project focused on enabling women to assume active economic roles by teaching women how to produce handmade items and how to manage their work or business effectively; she contacted them and asked to be a part of the recently launched project, funded by the Gender and Social Fund/CIDA.
But it wasn't all smooth sailing to join the Threads of Hope project. She faced resistance from her husband.
"My husband asked me why I needed to leave the house, but for me, the kids had grown older, and I only needed a few hours to finish the housework. Why should I sit around when I can be productive?" she said. "Besides, Osama could come and play in the nursery while I was working."
Despite resistance from her husband, Sabah was determined to join the project, in which participants go through three tracks: puppet-making and sewing, program management, and accounting.
"He was concerned about the house and kids," Sabah said. "But the kids were at school and I had plenty of time to work on something else. I wanted to feel like I was doing something."
The trainings provided through the Thread of hope project by Jordan River Foundation were intended to enhance women's skills in puppet making and business management, but in addition to that they were a conduit for a larger change taking place. Women sensed an increase in confidence; their ability to speak in depth about new topics through puppets not only helped them break barriers but also improved their relation with their children, and quite possibly the most important aspect, being respected for their opinions.
"My husband now drops me off before he goes to work. He listens to me a bit more and asks me for my opinion," Sabah said. "With relatives, they call and ask me questions about the computer. It feels good."
It's been a few months since the project completed, and Sabah has a seemingly unrestricted flow of ideas to keep going. Now she hopes to start working for a private company, using her newfound accounting skills. These plans however, are on hold until her third child is born.
As for her husband, while he is still cautious about Sabah's newfound confidence, Sabah assures us that she will continue to work in the future.
With more than just a thread of confidence in her voice, she says, "my husband retires next year. So there is no doubt that I'll be working to help support that family. I don't want to be sitting, and now, for the first time, I feel like I have an opportunity to accomplish something."
