Our award-winning Women’s Business Incubator (WBI) provides financial foundations and support for women to start their own small businesses. By providing financial grants, business training, mentorship and awareness sessions, the Women’s Business Incubator enables women to earn an income through their own skills, become financially independent, and create a sustainable business for themselves. Any profits the women earn through their endeavours is paid directly to them and under their full control to support their families and re-invest in their own business.
The training covers topics such as entrepreneurship, profit, revenue, payroll, supply chains, surveys and marketing, sales and accounting, plus scalability and risk. Successful businesses which have launched since the project’s launch in 2019 include hair and beauty salons, snack shops, restaurants, stationery stores and clothing and accessory shops. The project has also provided support for women’s businesses that were adversely affected by the pandemic, including training in digital skills and hygiene training, as well as online marketing and delivery services.
In addition, our Women’s Business Incubator provides psychological therapy for participants who are still suffering the aftermath of conflict, and also includes awareness sessions on gender-based violence and women’s legal rights. Male family and other community members also participate in these sessions, as by including everyone, men and boys do not feel marginalised and can choose to take an active supportive role. In recognition of the strengths of the project, we won a UNHCR Iraq award for Innovation in early 2022.
With many of the women we support have their own ideas about what sort of business they would like to run, most lack the capital and support to start them. Our Incubator provides these necessary inputs while also providing the community support that is a vital ingredient to business success.
CASE STUDY
Orphan Hussna came to Essyan camp with her grandparents in 2015. After taking part in several of our other projects – such as sports, crafts and photography – Hussna had the opportunity to take part in our Women’s Business Incubator project. After receiving intensive business training, a start-up grant and mentorship, she was able to open her own shop which now sells clothes for children and women in the community. It has proved a big success, and she says: “It means I now earn income for me and my family, so I can provide food and clothing for my grandparents. One day I hope I can pursue an education too, so that I become more skilled and am able to expand my business further and employ other people.”