HELEN AHMAD

Sulaimaniyah — In one modest alleyway, the scent of warm bread and fresh kleicha draws you in before anything else — but it isn't just the smell of food; it's the scent of effort, hope, and life, crafted by a group of women with their own hands.

In front of a home in Sulaimaniyah, in the Kurdistan Region, a mother works alongside women from her family from the earliest hours of the morning. Between preparing dough, baking loaves, and making kleicha, kelana, and traditional Kurdish dishes, they don't just fulfill customers' orders — they create, for themselves and for other women, an opportunity for life and work.

This initiative began a year ago and has since grown into a space for collective women's work. Under the supervision of the mother and her daughter, six women now work together, each contributing to preparing the products delivered to customers by their own hands.

For this mother, the work is more than simply a source of income; for more than ten years, she has struggled to secure her children's future, and today she continues this journey alongside her daughter — a successful woman known in the artistic field, working in cinema and behind a number of film projects. Yet her artistic success has never distanced her from her roots or from the daily work she shares with her mother.

The mother and daughter have proven that art, work, and life can come together in one place, and that the shared message linking a film camera to a bread oven is this: "There is no small job if it is done with sincerity and will."

"We Came to Be a Source of Hope for Other Women"

Shno Bakr, the project's owner, said they had been working for years inside the home preparing pastries and Kurdish dishes, but a year ago decided to take their work out into the street, openly.

She added: "I've been working for more than ten years to support my children. At first, I would prepare food and pastries inside the house, then I started delivering orders to customers. A year ago, my children, the women of the family, and I decided to go out onto the street, so everyone would know we're working to earn our living."

She explained that demand for their project has grown significantly: "Our goal going forward is to expand the project and provide job opportunities for other women. Right now, we make all kinds of Kurdish dishes alongside pastries, and I encourage every woman to work independently, to leave the house, and to face obstacles with pride and self-confidence. We came out to be a source of hope for other women."

An Actress Who Has Appeared in Two Films, Working Alongside Her Mother

Shanya Saleh said she is a resident of Sulaimaniyah and a graduate of the languages department at the College of International Business, specializing in Arabic and English, and that she also works in theater and cinema.

She added: "I've starred in a number of films, including The Shroud and Mourning, alongside a number of drama series and television programs. I always dreamed of having my own business, and I'm proud of what I do."

She noted that she has been working with her mother for a year preparing pastries: "Our idea was to make pastries and Kurdish food and provide job opportunities for other women. Six women work with us, and without them, we wouldn't have been able to keep going."

She added that their products include kelana, kleicha, sesame kleicha, walnut kleicha, barley kleicha, ghee kleicha, and "Panje Keshi" kleicha.

She explained that kelana enjoys great demand, alongside Kurdish dishes such as kofta and kubba, in addition to walnut and date kleicha and various sweets, with delivery service available within Sulaimaniyah.

"We Work in Front of Our House Due to Limited Resources"

Shanya Saleh explained that their workplace is located in the Majid Beg neighborhood, right in front of their home: "We don't have a shop — we've set up a small tent in front of the house. We deliver orders to customers who live farther away, while others come to buy directly."

She added that they work daily from four to seven in the evening, starting earlier in winter: "In winter, rain, snow, and wind pose major obstacles, and we're often forced to prepare the kelana inside the house, which adds extra burdens for us. But the neighborhood residents and our customers support us constantly, and without their support, we wouldn't have been able to keep going. Our love for our work is what makes us endure the summer heat and winter cold."

"We Started With a Small Idea"

Speaking about how it all began, Shanya Saleh said: "We don't have the financial means to open a shop, so we still work in front of our house, enduring the summer heat, winter cold, and rain. In the future, we hope to expand the project and offer breakfast and lunch meals, in addition to traditional Kurdish dishes."

She explained: "We're also planning to provide job opportunities for other women. At night, I work with my mother preparing sweets and food, and during the day we make kleicha. My message to every woman who says there are no job opportunities is this: work exists. We started with a small idea, and I hope more women get the chance to become economically independent and have their own source of income."