Volunteer work was more than just delivering food baskets and distributing pamphlets, it was the responsibility to save families from hunger during the outbreak
Yusra Ali - Nineveh
Volunteer work was more than just delivering food baskets and distributing pamphlets, it was the responsibility to save families from hunger during the outbreak
Yusra Ali - Nineveh
Although Dalia al-Ma’mari graduated from al law college, she didn’t want to be limited by one single path in life amid rising number of social issues and the COVID outbreak, which has taken many lives. So, she decided to do volunteering work next to her work as a lawyer.
“Right after Mosul’s liberation from ISIS, I started volunteering to take part in humanitarian and social activities and to contribute in rebuilding the things that ISIS destroyed,” al-Ma’mari said.
The city of Mosul fell under the control of ISIS in June 2014 until it was retaken by government forces and militias with the help of the International Coalition three years later.
24-year-old Dalia al-Ma’mari has been subjected to criticism in Mosul, especially by conservative voices. “The notion of the volunteering and activist woman is unacceptable for them,” she says. She keeps being told: “Your volunteer work has no benefit, and it is better that you find a job with better pay.”
But she wonders: “When society is in need of help, who will save it? Who will help the poor families?” That’s why she hasn’t let the criticism discourage her, and next to being a lawyer, she kept her volunteer work.
al-Ma’mari forms a volunteering group
Despite the criticism she has been subjected to, al-Ma’mari continued her volunteering work and formed a group to let other girls and women in Mosul do the same.
One of her group’s activities, al-Ma’mari says, has been spreading pamphlets in Mosul to promote peace, the return of normal life and warnings against the use of narcotics.
Her group visits churches and takes part in religious ceremonies. They have been playing a role in reacquainting people with religious ceremonies and removing fears of intermingling between the different communities.
People’s gossip and the dangers of the Coronavirus
Like almost everywhere else in the world, the COVID-19 outbreak in March 2020 and the subsequent lockdowns have damaged the economy and the livelihood of many.
In these times, al-Ma’mari and her team started collecting donations from people who can afford it and used it to distribute more than 3,080 food baskets among the subsequent families affected by the outbreak.
She created a charity network consisting of university teachers and others who were willing to donate, and her group also collaborated with the Ministry of Immigration and Displacement in several activities.
The Federal Government imposed lockdown intermittently form February to September 2020, and from then on daily activities were allowed to gradually go back to normal.
"Despite people’s talk and gossip, and the dangers of contracting the Coronavirus, we continue, as much as we can, printing pamphlets and distributing them among people, through which we encourage and urge them to follow health instructions, such as wearing a mask, washing their hands constantly and not leaving the house except when its necessary," al-Ma’mari said.
She added that her team advises people not to let their children go outside, because they may help spread the virus as they are less likely to follow hygiene and health guidelines.
During the curfew, my team and I faced difficulties moving to distribute food baskets, in addition to the risks involved in contracting the Coronavirus
“It’s not a secret that my team and I have faced many difficulties in distributing the food baskets due to the lockdowns, in addition to the risks involved in contracting the Coronavirus. But we didn’t give up and kept working.”
Volunteer work for al-Ma’mari and her team was more than just delivering food baskets and distributing pamphlets; for them, it was the responsibility to save families from hunger during the outbreak, which has caused financial and social crises.
Her future plans include establishing a charity foundation to encourage volunteer work among the youth and to collect donations in order to help different groups in society.
