How making cookies changed one Iranian woman’s life
Nowadays, in each of the communities where the project is running, women have a strong, decisive presence in the local development fund committees.
Three women work hard using their newly built energy-efficient oven to produce a competitive and in-demand food product. ©FAO/Amir Khaleghiyan
In the town of Se-Qale, a small rural community near the Lut Desert in eastern Iran, Fatemeh Safarpour provides for her children with her own cookie-making business. What started out as a way to make ends meet in a time of need has blossomed into her own small-scale bakery creating job opportunities for other women in the area, thanks to help from FAO and her local community.
Fatemeh’s life was turned upside down 18 months ago when her husband went bankrupt and left her alone to care for their three children. With no job of her own, it was a difficult time for her.
“Before my husband left, I just looked after the house and took care of my children,” Fatemeh says. “But [after that happened] I was determined to find a new source of income to support my children.”
After considering her skills and the tools available to her, Fatemeh concluded that baking traditional cookies could be a feasible option to generate income – although she was sceptical about whether she would be able to pull it off. Fortunately, Fatemeh was a perfect candidate for help from her local community’s Sustainable Community Development Fund (SCDF), set up as part of FAO’s Rehabilitation of Forest Landscapes and Degraded Land (RFLDL) project.
Funded by the Global Environment Facility and the Government of Iran, the RFLDL project establishes environmentally sustainable, community-based initiatives. Despite what the project’s name suggests, it doesn’t just focus on improving soil and degraded land. It also promotes environmentally-sound livelihoods. Residents can share their plans for new businesses and request financial support from their local SCDF. In particular, the project encourages women to pursue social and economic endeavours.
Still unsure about the prospects, Fatemeh tentatively shared her idea with her fellow women in the local community development fund committees.