Illustration: UN Women/Lauren Rooney
In the fertile soil of resilience, Nour*, 41, has cultivated a new life as rich as the crops she now tends. After years of personal struggles, including health challenges, and domestic violence, Nour has found new strength to sow the seeds for a stronger, more hopeful future through through INITIATE’s Cash-for-Work agriculture initiative.
“Today, I live in Tyre with my three children and care for my elderly parents. Life hasn’t been easy—but through all the hardship, I’ve found something I thought I had lost: my strength.
I entered into an arranged marriage at the age of 16, as my father believed it would shield me from poverty. But instead of protection, I found pain. For years, I endured violence. One attack was so brutal, it left me with a brain injury. I developed epilepsy and spent two months in intensive care.
My husband isolated us completely. We were locked inside our home, and some days, we only ate because kind neighbors brought food. He wouldn’t even let my eldest son go to school—until some people from our village stepped in.
After the divorce, I was completely broken. I feared people, especially men. I stayed inside for years. I was ashamed, I was afraid—and I didn’t know how to start over.
Everything changed when I learned about INITIATE’s Cash-for-Work agriculture initiative through a relative, who had heard about it from a woman previously employed on the agriculture team. At first, I was hesitant and unsure if I could manage the work. But as the days passed, something within me began to change. This was my first time being formally employed, and it felt empowering. I had worked in the fields since childhood—planting tobacco, wheat, and vegetables with my family—but after so many years, returning to the land at 41 brought a different feeling. With each seed I planted, I felt more capable, more useful, more alive.
Working alongside other women helped me reconnect. The psychosocial support sessions became my favorite part of the day. We began with light activities to break the ice—walking at different paces, pretending to rush to work, or stepping as if on hot sand. We played games that made us laugh and encouraged teamwork, like acting out words with our bodies, sharing things we admired about each other, or finding what we had in common. These moments reminded me how good it feels to belong. We always ended with calming breathing, balance, and focus exercises that eased my stress and helped me face the day with more strength. I stopped feeling invisible. I started feeling like myself again.
Most importantly, I now have an income. I can buy my epilepsy medication without asking anyone for help. It might seem like a small thing, but to me, that’s freedom. That’s independence.
This program didn’t just offer me a job—it gave me back my voice, my identity, my life. I used to be afraid of the world. Now, I wake up feeling strong.
*Name has been changed to protect the identity of the individual.
Nour is among 214 women engaged in a humanitarian Cash-for-Work initiative led by INITIATE in Tyre, in partnership with UN Women and the Union of Tyre Municipalities, with the technical support of Agrimovement, and with generous support from the Republic of Korea. As part of the agricultural team, Nour contributes to a wider effort that addresses both the economic needs of displaced women and the food insecurity affecting vulnerable communities. The initiative combines livelihood support with psychosocial protection, offering women like Nour the opportunity to earn income, rebuild their routines, and regain a sense of stability. The crops harvested help supply community kitchens that prepare warm, nutritious meals for internally displaced families living in schools and other in formal shelters—turning collective effort into daily acts of care and resilience.
