Stories of hope
Turning Years of Experience into Opportunity
After years of displacement, Daniel is serving his community again
September 17, 2026 | by McKenzie Hood
In Iraq’s Nineveh Plains, years of conflict and displacement have made it difficult for Christian families to rebuild their lives and secure reliable incomes. Through its Economic Empowerment for Iraq’s Christian Communities project, Shai Fund is helping families establish small businesses that restore self-reliance, strengthen local economies, and support the future of Christian communities in their ancestral homeland.
For Daniel, opening a cosmetics shop represents the culmination of years of hard work and perseverance. He began working in beauty retail in Baghdad in 2008, developing expertise in customer service, product knowledge, and the needs of his customers. After repeated displacement, including fleeing the ISIS invasion of the Nineveh Plains, he continued serving customers through phone orders while waiting for the opportunity to establish a permanent storefront.
Turning Experience into Opportunity
With support from Shai Fund, Daniel renovated and equipped a shop, purchased European cosmetics and personal-care products, and established a dedicated retail space serving both women and men. His business fills a gap in the local market by making international beauty products more accessible while providing his family with a more stable source of income.
He said, “Opening this shop was a goal I worked toward for many years but could not accomplish alone. I thank God and everyone who helped make this opportunity possible.”
Investing in a Future at Home
Daniel’s story reflects the purpose of the livelihood initiatives: helping Christian families move beyond the uncertainty of displacement toward sustainable futures in their own communities.
By investing in local skills and small businesses, Shai Fund is supporting families as they rebuild their lives, contribute to their local economies, and preserve the Christian presence in the Nineveh Plains.