A taste of independence

Jassem and other women preparing food inside the kitchen of the women-run catering service ‘Taste of Mosul’ in Iraq’s northern city of Mosul. These women are part of some 30 employees of the food service, which celebrates local delicacies and was founded in 2017 after the northern Iraqi metropolis was liberated from IS. — AFP

ABIR Jassem is busy preparing stuffed vegetables at a kitchen in Iraq’s Mosul, where after years of unrest a women-run catering service has helped single mothers like her achieve financial security.

The 37-year-old, who lost her husband while the city was under the control of the Islamic State (IS) group, said she had to get a job to put food on the table for her and her children.