A few months back, I left my job at Meta where I was a manager in their Global Operations team in Ireland. I had spent four years there, yet the pull to return to Kurdistan—to embrace the life I'd dreamt of since my youth—grew too strong to ignore.

I was still in my mother's womb when Halabja, the place I call home, suffered a chemical weapons attack that claimed the lives of five thousand souls. By some miracle, my parents and sisters survived. I came into this world five months later, born in the makeshift refuge of a schoolyard that had been converted into a camp for those displaced by the tragedy. 

My parents may not have had the gift of literacy, but they were unwavering in their belief that education was crucial for us—not just as a tool for personal advancement, but as a means to extend a helping hand to others more effectively. 

"Education broadens your impact when helping others," my father often said.

Desire to ‘escape grueling labor’

Heeding their quiet yet persistent encouragement, I embraced education, albeit with some hesitation. It wasn't a thirst for knowledge that drove me at first, but a desire to escape the grueling labor my father endured since his childhood—a work and hardship I knew all too well from my very little work as teenage.

I graduated as the top student in my high school's final year, an achievement that earned me a fully-funded scholarship for my undergraduate studies in the American University of Iraq, Sulaimani. Later, I was granted another scholarship to pursue a master's degree at the No.1 U.S. institution for public administration.

My drive was always clear: to support and inspire youth, to invest my time in their growth, to encourage them, and to steer them toward fulfilling their dreams while making a meaningful impact on Kurdistan. However, I lacked the tangible work experience I believed necessary to complement my academic accomplishments. I convinced myself that gaining professional experience was just as vital as my educational pursuits.

Over the next eight years, I dedicated myself to working with some of the most prestigious international and local firms in Kurdistan, steadily ascending the corporate ladder. Then, in 2018, Facebook reached out to me for a role at their European headquarters in Ireland. Initially, I was torn about accepting it since it meant stepping away from my aspirations of aiding Kurdish youth. Eventually, I persuaded myself that this opportunity was just another short-term diversion—one that would arm me with enhanced skills to better serve my community.

Life story to be in upcoming book

In 2019, I took the leap and joined Meta. The day I was going to the airport is captured in an upcoming book written by Professor Nicole F. Watts, entitled "Republic of Dreams: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Struggles, and the Future of Iraqi Kurdistan." 

Nicole writes, “Peshawa was looking at the mountains and said, ‘I will miss these mountains. They are like my friends, beautiful and familiar, and there is nowhere else I love more.’” 

I told myself I would be going to Ireland for only two years.

Yet, as those two years came and went, I found myself on the cusp of a promotion to lead a larger team within the company. With a rising salary and growing esteem in this leading tech firm, I convinced myself to extend my time just a bit longer. “A little bit more” turned into another two years.

Internally, I was in turmoil, caught between furthering my career in a renowned tech company and relinquishing it all to return home—to fulfill not only my own longstanding ambitions but also the hopes my parents nurture in me. It was a choice between a life that largely benefited me alone and one where I could be of service to others.

I saw untapped potential in Kurdistan's youth—a deep eagerness to learn and a desire to contribute to their society. Many were more ambitious and cleverer than I ever was, yet they felt confined by the rural areas they lived in, places where opportunities seemed out of reach.

Youth aspire to be at the forefront of economic diversification 

Over the past thirty years, Kurdistan has undergone significant changes, yet it now stands at the another but different kind of transformation. This new phase has the potential to place the youth at its heart, not through traditional government jobs but by fostering innovation in established sectors like agriculture and tourism to aid economic diversification, and in emerging fields like AI and advanced technologies. 

I've observed hundreds of young entrepreneurs starting businesses that create and sell products both locally and internationally. My calling was getting closer.

In early 2023, I received a call from the head of the newly established Office of Initiatives and Communication. He told me, "I've seen how you help the youth online, and I know your dream is to return to Kurdistan to aid them here. Come and lead this unit of our office's efforts." 

He assured me that, together, we would equip the youth with the skills and mindset to thrive in an interconnected and rapidly changing world, regardless of where they live, their political affiliations, or their gender. Our goal is to enable them to be self-reliant, to contribute to Kurdistan's growth, and to take pride in their homeland.

Since August 2023, my team and I have conducted training for over 600 young individuals across 10 different cities in Kurdistan, beginning with my hometown, Halabja. Their commitment, their love for our land, and their optimism have been nothing short of inspiring. They are determined to play a role in the future of Kurdistan. Our goal is to reach five thousand young people within a year, through diverse and comprehensive programs.

We are equipping them with methods to become active learners and to develop robust problem-solving, critical thinking, and communication skills. We teach them how to tackle local challenges with customized solutions and how to adapt to the global technological shifts. Our mission is not only to prepare them for the future but also to enable them to shape it.

Mentors to help the younger generation 

Back in my youth, the thought of earning a master's degree from a prestigious U.S. university, traveling the globe, or holding a managerial role in a leading tech company seemed beyond the realm of possibility. My journey here wasn't without its hurdles, yet it was persistence, hope, and advice from others, along with a strong belief in a brighter future—for myself and for Kurdistan—that kept me going forward to face and overcome those challenges.

As a teenager brimming with dreams but lacking a definite path, I was fortunate to have many mentors guide me. Now, I strive to be that guiding figure for the youth of today. I'm part of a growing community that has chosen to return to Kurdistan from overseas, each of us bringing our skills and experiences to aid in the diverse facets of the region's development.

In teaching the youth the necessary skills and best practices to adapt to economic shifts, I hope my story will resonate with them. I wish to inspire them to achieve even greater things than I have, to reach heights that I can only imagine.