As the daughter of a deaf mother, Saha Farid Dieaa’s education in compassion and caregiving started early. After she was born, Saha’s father was called away to fight in the Iran-Iraq War in 1988. So from the age of five, she started mirroring the nurturing she received at home, a loving environment that she said fostered confidence.
“I realized that I had to be my mother’s ears and help give her words,” Saha said. “Having to figure out what she was saying from a young age helped me to recognize my own ambition to help others. It taught me how to take responsibility.”
Now, Saha runs the Al-Susen Pharmacy in Tikrit. Beyond helping the patrons, she takes pride in managing a shop filled with women who would otherwise struggle to find opportunities, and she’s proactive in looking for ways to improve the business.
In 2020, after reading about the Enterprise Development Fund on Facebook, Saha decided to take a leap and apply. A few months later, in 2021, the pharmacy was awarded $15,100.
The money was used to buy a number of new devices including a computer, skin analysis equipment, and a machine that gives patients basic diagnostic criteria without a visit to the doctor. The last machine was particularly helpful in a town where it can take weeks or months to get an appointment at the doctor’s office. Now, with just 5,000 IQD, or about $3.50 USD, the machine will read a patient's blood pressure, take their temperature, measure their weight, and provide a rundown of tips for a healthy diet.
Today, patrons stream into the shop, dropping coins into the machine and recording their results. They browse the shelves of pristinely aligned medication and household goods. Saha greets them all warmly, offering assistance and instructions on how to use their medications.
With the help of the grant, Saha was able to hire three new employees, including Shereen Sary. Despite having a degree in computer science, Shereen had struggled to find a job utilizing her specialization. But now she brings specialized knowledge of how to operate the pharmacy’s new computer. In addition to developing new skills in the pharmacy, Shereen feels she has something unique to offer her colleagues.
After the work day ends, Saha returns home and relieves her mother, Gatiya Mahel, who takes care of Saha’s sons during the day.
Saha’s marriage started to fall apart in 2014 after ISIL took control of Tikrit in June of that year. She had just had a C-section on the pivotal day that all the checkpoints were seized by militants, so she and her family were forced to flee the very next day. Deciding where to safely relocate their families led to a breakdown between Saha and her husband. He chose to stay with his parents while Saha, their days-old son, and the rest of the family embarked on a treacherous 8-hour journey to Baghdad along the Iranian border.
“You have to do everything in your power to keep your family together, but situations like this can tear a family apart.” she said.
After the city was liberated from ISIL control, Saha returned to Tikrit with her family and resumed working at the pharmacy.
Since Saha’s divorce, Gatiya has been helping raise her 10 and 8 year-old sons. “I always support her in everything she tries to do, because I know she’s capable of achieving anything,” Gatiya said with glimmering eyes and a wide smile.
In addition to supporting her mother and children, Saha’s 16 year-old brother, Walead, also lives with the family. “I’m so proud of her,” Walead said. “Seeing her makes me feel safe when I consider my own future. She supports me in my dreams.”
Walead plans to follow in Saha’s footsteps and become a pharmacist in Tikrit.
