Sisters' Stories: Shaima’s shop helps her provide for her children
As you may be aware, our Women’s Business Incubator livelihoods training programme has just won a major innovation award from UNHCR.
Our project provides business training, mentorship and start-up grants so that women can start small businesses of their own choosing, and earn a sustainable income to support themselves and their families.
We’re thrilled to have received the award, so thought we’d tell you about another of the women we support who has started her own successful business thanks to the programme.
Shaima is 32, and a single mother of three children. Things have been hard for her since she first arrived at the Rwanga camp seven years ago, and she says: “Life has been very harsh for me and my kids in the camp – especially when we lost my husband. I’ve often struggled to provide the food that my children need.”
In 2019 Shaima was selected to take part in our business training programme, and received a grant so she could launch her own business. She chose to open a shop that sells all kinds of clothing, underwear, accessories and hair and beauty products.
“It helped me hugely in sourcing my own income,” she says. “It was an exceptional experience and gave me the opportunity to be empowered, and to provide what my family most need. Now I don't have to depend on anyone else, and women really like to come to my shop. They are more comfortable to purchase items from me than other shops.”
However, it has not all been plain-sailing for Shaima, and in 2020 the pandemic forced the closure of her shop for two months, which meant her income suddenly dried up and she struggled to provide for her children once again. But when things were safe enough to do so, the Lotus Flower stepped in to provide further support and training so that she could restart her business, and she is once again welcoming customers to her store. “It has been incredible,” she says.
After all she has been through, we’re so happy to have been able to support Shaima and her family, and to enable her to start rebuilding her life after years of unimaginable trauma. With your support, we hope to expand our business training and grants much further, so that many more women can receive the same opportunity...