Kawsar, 30, a Syrian refugee in Iraq, demonstrates hairstyling for a class of displaced women who want to learn a marketable skill.  

Each day, about 60 women walk through the streets of Koya in the Kurdistan region of Iraq to the Jian Women’s Center. For many, it’s a chance to get away from the drudgery of life as a displaced person, and for others it’s an opportunity to learn new skills. And for some, it’s a place where friendship blossoms. 

“We share the same experience from the conflict,” says Aminah, a 24-year-old mother of two. “It helps us a lot when we have someone to talk to who understands our problems.”

Aminah hopes to have her own beauty salon one day so she can earn an income.

The women’s center is a partnership between World Vision and the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, located in an area where 10,000 Iraqis have sought shelter from violence. The gathering place also helps provide protection and emotional support for women and girls displaced by armed conflict. 

Photo ©2015 World Vision, Cecil Laguardia