By: Sazan M. Mandalawi, a facilitator, a PhD candidate in the field of education, and a passionate blogger herself focusing on culture and the creative scene in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
There are people who you admire because their success is applaudable. There are those who are hard workers, those who have endured hardship and showed resilience; there are those who have inherited their fame and reputation and then there are those whose beauty is their point of attraction.
But then what if there is one who is all of this. Admired by those who are close to her for her beauty, queen like presence and transparent heart; liked for her talents and creative abilities and respected for her perseverance and determination to keep her culture alive.
Rawa Jalizada, before being an entrepreneur, she is a dear friend. She is one of the females in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq who stands out in her determination to spread awareness in the community. For those of us who know Rawa a little closer we know she is a woman of values.
I thought a lot about how to introduce Rawa for this piece. As an author, artist, entrepreneur, social activist, content creator or a mother? For she is all this and above all a role model in the local community. However, when I ask Rawa to introduce herself, she has an entirely different response, a reflection of her genuine self. She says “I am a daughter to Mohammed Jalizada, wife to Dastan, mother to Maria, and Sister to Rasan and Mustafa.”
Rawa was born in Baghdad in 1990 to a family of a long line of renowned writers in the town of Koysinjaq in the Kurdistan Region. I first knew Rawa through a blog she wrote when she was in college; it is no surprise that her passion for writing is genetically passed from one of the Region’s great individuals to his great granddaughter, she agrees “writing runs in our blood.”
Rawa tells me that her great grandfather, known as Melay Gewra, was a clergy who built the first school in Kurdistan and was the first Kurdish man to send his daughter to school, despite the criticism of the time. The stories of her great grandfather chronicled by her family members echoed in her ears as she grew up. Her grandmother made a living by making jewelry and collecting antiques. Her aunt’s hobby was painting with water colours. As Rawa tells me this family background, I understand exactly how this multi-talented friend of mine has rightly earned all her colourful creative abilities.
Rawa started with oil painting and hosted her first art exhibition in 2016; she refers to it as “an unforgettable exhibition!” However, writing is not the only area where Rawa shines bright.
“As a child I grew up to the clickety-clack sound of my father’s typewriter, I’d spill the ink found in my grandfathers’ room filled with dusty piles of written papers and I would play with the books in our old bookshelf, stare and wonder on the images.” Rawa began writing in her teenage days mostly on topics related to girls in Kurdistan. Fast forward many years later, Rawa published her first book inspired by and dedicated to her daughter Maria (Rawa has previously published her writing in co-authored or multi-authored books). At a time where colourful, Kurdish stories for children are in shortage in the Kurdish market, Rawa authored Maria’s Mshkoka (Maria’s Mouse). Maria is also Rawa’s daughter’s name.
And as a friend, I also know Rawa has a ready novel to come out, when the time is right. I do not ask Rawa about the business industry as a creative writer, because I know too well in my society it is not an income you can rely on, not at all. However, I admire Rawa for taking this route, following her passion rather than financial gains.
What I admire most about this genuine person is that over the years I have witnessed Rawa expose her vulnerabilities openly. On the TEDxNishtiman stage she unleashed how it felt to leave university while being the great granddaughter of one of the country’s greatest educators. Her followers, watch, listen and learn. Among her online content is shared videos and posts about her brother Rasan. I personally know many mothers who have children with special needs who follow Rawa and Rasan for their dose of hope. She openly talks to her followers about having a brother with autism and epilepsy, something that still is a taboo in the community.
The same followers applauded and followed her online entrepreneurial journey. With her writing creativity she touched local lives, but with her artistic creativity Rawa has touched the local culture. She says she felt unease that the colourful Kurdish clothes we all wear, and hold dear to our hearts, are not made in Kurdistan, nor do they reflect Kurdistan in their designs, patterns or colours. After much research, Rawa’s creativity and determination made it happen. She began printing her own Kurdish inspired artwork on fabrics for Kurdish garments and created the brand R.J Fabrics. On her social media page, she began to sell these for her audience, who had always been inspired by Rawa’s very openly shared journey.
She says the great challenge in her business is the wide fabric market; after her launch the Chinese market opened to Iraqi Kurdistan and the price of fabrics decreased, later Covid arrived and there were less celebrations to order and wear Kurdish traditional clothing. Nevertheless, the beauty of this business, says Rawa, is that she has found an audience that looks for unique pieces; her designs are made in limited quantities, inspired by Kurdish culture, and are available online alone. Many of Rawa’s paintings are now on Kurdish fabric.
In five years, Rawa hopes to see her business have employees and for her fabrics to be in show rooms across the Kurdistan Region. In ten years time, she says “I see collaborations between R.J and famous brands in the west in terms of fabric prints. I see it exporting to the east and west.”
Rawa’s World is not a financially run world. It is not monetized in ways I wished it was, but this young Kurdish woman has her colourful fingers, creative heart and pure way of thinking highly invested in preserving the Kurdish culture and language. Her creative talents are invested in educating minds of children and adults about all sorts of issues in our local community; and beyond all she spreads awareness. An absolute role model.
Copyright photos: Rawa Jalizada
So proud of you my dearest