B*N*S*N1

Baghdad, Um Al-abeed

Old techniques get new life in Baghdad – PRT-Baghdad helps Iraqi women acquire skills to preserve produce through canning

Canned produce ready to go

Baghdad -- In the dusty village of Um al-Abeed, in Eastern Baghdad province, dozens of women picked at large platters of tomatoes, okra and other produce. They hadn’t gathered to prepare a community feast, but rather to learn how to preserve the bounty from their family farms.

The women took part in a PRT-Baghdad supported training program on canning. Working with a local NGO, the women received four days of instruction on food safety and preservation followed by six days of hands- on training. After the training, the women received starter kits so they can preserve food on their own.

It’s just the latest in a series of PRT projects to benefit women in Baghdad.

Adding the brine

Sarmad Kamel, founder of al-Shahab organization which helped implement the training, said he hopes the program can be replicated across Iraq. “This project helped train women who are widows or whose families were internally displaced by the sectarian fighting years ago. It’s very valuable because it helps them support themselves and their families, when there is no man in the house.”...

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