RENDA MIHEMED

Qamishlo- 38-year-old Gulistan Xelef, originally from Hesekê, is a young tailor in Qamishlo. She learned how to sew from her uncle’s wife and one of her friends.

“Women should stand on their own feet. I feel more confident because I managed to do this,” says Gulistan Xelef, who liked to sew dresses for her dolls when she was a child. “We didn’t have a sewing machine. I moved to Qamishlo after I got married. We were in a very bad financial condition. After a while, I bought a sewing machine to meet my needs. I both learned how to sew and continued my education in Kurdish.”

Gulistan Xelef’s friends always encouraged her to be a tailor because they knew that she loves sewing. “I sewed traditional Kurdish dresses. In a short time, women visited me to ask me to sew dresses for them. Now, I receive many orders and try to help people in need.”

She wants to start a tailoring shop

Emphasizing that every woman should improve herself to get her economic freedom, Gulistan Xelef says, “When I hear some women start their own business, I feel stronger. I sew dresses at my home now but I really want to start a tailoring shop with my friends.”