Vocational training - a beacon of environmental change in Diyala

Marwa Adib Ahmed is a 34-year-old Iraqi engineer, born in the town of Jalawla in Diyala province. Marwa enjoyed a calm and stable childhood until the events of ISIS in 2014 turned the life of Maria and her family upside down.

Marwa and her family were forced to flee to Baqubah, where they began to face the challenges of a new life far from their home and land.

Despite the difficulties, Marwa never gave up on her ambitions and dreams and continued to strive to achieve the goals she believed in.

Marwa led a life bustling with humanitarian and volunteer activities. She worked as a civil activist and founded the "Eighth Neighbour" team, focusing on humanitarian, social, and environmental issues. Additionally, she worked as a daily-paid lecturer at a university, reflecting her passion for education and guiding young generations.

Despite her busy life, Marwa always felt a pressing need to improve the environment around her, especially after noticing the increasing amounts of waste and its disfigurement of the general landscape. Marwa saw in waste an opportunity to provide a solution that would help preserve the environment and turn waste into useful resources.

In 2018, Marwa began developing the idea of the "Dwira" project (Dwira being Arabic for cycle or turn), a plant for sorting waste, recycling it, and extracting organic fertilizers, The idea was to collect waste and sort it according to its different types, encouraging the community to do so consciously. Additionally, she aimed to turn food waste into organic fertilizers beneficial for farmers.

Marwa faced many difficulties in trying to achieve this idea, as the high costs posed a significant obstacle to implementing the project. She tried to get support from civil society organizations, but all her attempts failed. Despite this, Marwa did not give up and continued to pursue her dream.

While browsing Facebook, Marwa came across a Human Relief Foundation post about funding for projects in Baqubah. Marwa felt that this opportunity could be the path to achieving her dream, She applied for support and was accepted into a ten day training program, After successfully completing the training, she presented the project details and was interviewed and discussed her idea with the organisation's team, The idea was welcomed, and Marwa received the first part of the funding.

Marwa began setting up the project site and faced many difficulties, such as securing materials from different provinces and obtaining government approvals, She worked alone day and night, armed with determination and perseverance, Despite all the challenges, Marwa succeeded in implementing her project and received the second part of the funding, which enabled her to complete the project setup.

Today, the Dwira project efficiently sorts waste and produces organic fertilizer, Marwa now contributes to preserving the environment and significantly reducing waste, The organic fertiliser is sold to farmers in various regions, helping to improve agriculture and productivity.

Marwa's ambitions do not stop here. She plans to expand the project to cover the entire Diyala province, which will have a more significant impact on the environment and the community.

In addition, Marwa is looking to expand the project into schools and communities to raise awareness about waste management and environmental conservation. She hopes to collaborate with local governments and international organizations to secure more funding and resources, enabling her to scale up the project and make a more substantial impact.

The Dwira project reflects Marwa's spirit of perseverance and determination and serves as a living example of how to turn dreams into tangible reality despite all challenges.