Couple volunteers at kindergarten for over a decade without pay, hoping for future jobs

HALABJA — Every morning, Bakr Rahim walks through the gates of the Parya kindergarten in Halabja, pruning branches, watering plants, and tending to the garden he has nurtured for a decade. Inside, his wife Avin, a university graduate, guides children through lessons and playtime, offering patience and care to classes that have become her daily world.

For more than ten years, the couple has volunteered side by side, convinced their service would eventually lead to formal employment. “I started volunteering in the hope of being appointed,” Bakr told 964media. “At first I worked as a gardener and created a green space, but I am still not assured of a job.”

Avin said she too was promised a contract if she spent a few months volunteering. “Months turned into years, and no contract came,” she said. With a bachelor’s degree and years of experience, she continues to look after children in the classroom.

The couple supports two children of their own, but they have no stable income apart from small amounts Bakr earns by driving the kindergarten staff and some children home.

Kindergarten staff and Halabja’s director general of education are aware of their situation. Director Soran Omer told 964media that if recruitment opportunities arise, “all possible facilitation will be provided for this family.”

Stories like Bakr and Avin’s are not rare in Halabja, where many young people volunteer in schools and kindergartens with the hope of one day receiving a salary or contract. Official figures on the number of such volunteers are not available, but educators acknowledge the practice has become common.