Fotima was curious when she heard that other women in a nearby village were meeting together and collecting small amounts of money to help one another start up in small business opportunities.
One day a project leader came to her village to gather women interested in a similar group. They met in a home and Fotima was very happy to join and to hear more. She learnt that by bringing a small amount of money each week, one by one the women in the group could take a small loan to start a shop, or buy a sewing machine, or even some breeding goats. The project leader told the group about other village women and their business ideas. Eventually when it was her turn she took a small loan from the group and started a small shop outside of her house. Fotima had always wanted to have a small shop and knew of the perfect place, a vacant garage beside her own home that was not being used. Fotima was able to set up her shop in this protected and shady space with solid metal doors to lock up at night.
At first she sold basic household items like soap, cooking oil, packaged noodles and biscuits. Quickly she had sold all of her products and with the new business skills she had learnt in the group she was able to buy and sell a wider variety of products. Now her small shop is flourishing and she is very proud of her work. She opens the shop every day and now has her eldest son helping with customers and stacking shelves. Fotima’s husband is very happy for the extra income into the family.
Fotima still attends the group and has been chosen to be one of the group administrators. She is often seen encouraging others with her own story of success. Now the women have decided they want to learn to read so they are working together to find ways to have this tuition.
There are many women like Fotima that are becoming empowered to help themselves through helping one another. These women have learnt through our training that little by little with perseverance, and by supporting one another what is often impossible for one woman is possible together. In Muslim village communities women working together with effective training and leadership are able to make positive and lasting changes to their own circumstances.
Most Muslim women in the Middle East are strong women that simply need tools and encouragement to get back on their feet after a long season of discouragement and suffering. We have created a women’s skills training program center among one of the poorest communities. Through this program center, each year 408 women are provided with a personal vision for empowerment and are invited to take action and responsibility for their family’s future. We give them guidance and training to help them discover their own skills and develop their specific abilities. Your gift will go towards the $608 cost required to equip these women with a long-term solution which will blossom hope for the future and provide a fresh start despite the past.
