Sinjar vendor blends mountain tourism with personal conservation project

SINJAR — On the slopes of Mount Sinjar, a site sacred to the Yazidi community and a popular summer escape from the surrounding plains, visitors may find more than a roadside snack stop. At a modest kiosk, resident Raad Adel serves grilled meat, cold drinks and local snacks while also running his own small-scale environmental project.

Raad said he takes pride in sourcing fruit from Sinjar itself. “It is a source of pride for us and support for our national products,” he told 964media, adding that he sorts the produce carefully before selling it. With barbecue restaurants rare in the area, he sees his kiosk as “a place to rest and enjoy the view.”

The idea took shape after he noticed visitors had few amenities on the mountain. “We were always looking for places to spend free time with families or friends, but tourism options here are limited. The gardens are down below, and the usual cafés have become boring, so I decided to take advantage of the beauty of these slopes to start a simple project,” he said.

Alongside his business, Raad has planted trees near the kiosk at his own expense, each costing about 15,000 dinars ($11.50). He has also built a small pond to provide water for wild animals and rare birds living on the mountain. “Since I came here about a year ago, I started a tree-planting campaign in the third slope area, and I haven’t yet reached the fourth slope,” he said. “I hope everyone hears my voice and supports my efforts, and that the trees I plant are not harmed or neglected.”

His work has not been without challenges. Some trees have been uprooted, though Raad said he does not know who is responsible. “I always plant in the morning, but I find that some of the trees have been removed,” he said.

While Mount Sinjar lacks a formal local conservation program, individual efforts like Raad’s show both the potential and the vulnerability of grassroots environmental work in a region still recovering from years of conflict.