The project was first born when two expat aid workers decided to support a group of displaced Assyrian carpenters from Qaraqaosh to make furniture for their friends, using cheap row materials that could be easily assembled. They were inspired by the trends worldwide in up cycling and re cycling and the use of pallets, and by their desire to create livelihood opportunities for displaced people. The
y identified a group of carpenters and a workspace and trained them in business management. They reached out to friends who supported designing a logo and a catalogue of products, and when the first few pieces were ready they organized a launch and invited friends and colleagues to make the project known and attract customers. Fast-forward a few months and the Pallet Furniture Workshop has finally come into being. The two creators with the help of another friend presented a project to UNDP that offered a generous grant to the initiative through the Erbil chamber of commerce and allowed consolidating the business and renting a bigger space and buying additional tools. Rabiah, Farhan, Athir and Amil have since taken on completely the management of the business and are now striving to keep expanding their own pallet furniture brand to offer you some artistic alternatives to your run-of-the-mill house furniture.
