The Palestinian Woman Shepherd of Deir Ghassna
COMMUNITY The Palestinian Woman Shepherd of Deir Ghassana Anera’s IRUSA-funded women’s economic empowerment program helped Alayeh and her family open a dairy business For Alayeh and her husband of 11 years, the parents of three children, the wooly reality grazing on their land has been the best thing to happen in years. “And why shouldn’t…
Read MoreRuqayya’s Sewing Space is Her Happy Place
COMMUNITY Ruqayya’s Sewing Space is Her Happy Place Supporting Small Businesses Run by Women Heads of Households in Palestine An outside visitor to homes in rural villages in the West Bank may immediately notice the depth of poverty many families experience. Ruqayya is a tailor in one such village. Her sewing workroom is humble, but…
Read MoreBaker and Sole Breadwinner is Putting Bread on Her Table
COMMUNITY Baker and Sole Breadwinner Puts Bread on Her Family Table Hawazim has opened the first bakery in the rural West Bank village of Sarta The alluring smell of freshly baked bread and pies hits you long before you step foot inside Hawazim’s bakery in the West Bank village of Sarta. “My bread-making business is still…
Read MoreFayrouz’s Journey to Open a Salon
COMMUNITY Fayrouz’s Journey to Open a Salon Fayrouz’s beauty salon in the Palestinian village of Qarawat Bani Zeid is thriving thanks to support for women head-of-household entrepreneurs The Women Can program has given itself one main mission: to empower Palestinian women. Funded by Islamic Relief USA, Anera’s Women Can program supports Palestinian women-headed families in…
Read MoreWomen Can Helps Kawthar Become the Palestinian Social Butterfly
COMMUNITY Women Can Helps Kawthar Become the Palestinian Social Butterfly “I said goodbye to the shy, lonely Kawthar.” For as long as she could remember, Kawthar wanted to break out of her shell of shyness. When she was young and single, she depended a great deal on her parents. And when she got married, she…
Read MoreStartup Support Enables Hanan to Open Beauty Salon
COMMUNITY Startup Support Enables Hanan to Open Beauty Salon Anera’s Women Can program supports aspiring women entrepreneurs in the West Bank and Gaza In her modest salon in Biddu, in the Jerusalem Governorate of the Palestinian West Bank, Hanan expertly applies a trendy purple nail polish for her client. The color nicely matches the woman’s…
Read MoreThe Right Tools to Launch a Business
COMMUNITY The Right Tools to Launch a Business Anera’s Women Can program helps Ameera start her own landscaping business As part of Anera’s community development program, Women Can, 52-year-old Ameera received a lawn mower and tree trimmer to help her prepare her home garden for planting. The widow and mother of seven lives in Biddu village…
Read MoreAnera Supports Palestinian Women and Cuisine
COMMUNITY Anera Supports Palestinian Women and Cuisine A West Bank cook fires up her business with Anera’s help. With a smile on her face, Ghada began preparing her popular grilled chicken for a neighbor in her home village of Bidoo, in northwest Jerusalem. She uses a traditional Bedouin technique known as zarb that relies on…
Read MoreWomen Can Helps Hairdresser Expand Her Business in Gaza
COMMUNITY Women Can Helps Hairdresser Expand Her Business in Gaza “Strong and happy.” This is how Alaa Nofal describes her feelings as she welcomes women clients in her newly opened beauty salon located in Deir Al-Balah Refugee Camp in central Gaza. After years of working from her home, Alaa, 33, finally managed to open her…
Read MoreIkraam Opens a Shop to Provide for her Family in Gaza
COMMUNITY Ikraam Opens a Shop to Provide for her Family in Gaza Through Women Can, women across Palestine are starting small businesses Meet Ikraam El Faleh, the owner of a stationary and toys shop in the Middle Area of Gaza. Ikraam graduated in 2008 with an engineering degree to become an architect. Since then, she…
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