The team teaching start-up business to refugees has seen a lot of enthusiasm from the course participants. They come ready and eager to learn. Each have shared their business ideas in the class and are determined to learn how their ideas and aspirations for a business can become a reality.

Here is what Somia, one of our participants says:

“I want to start a grocery store business, but I don’t know how. If I achieve my goal and the store makes good profit in the future, then I can use that money to fulfill my plan of opening a nursery for small children in my community.”

The strategy 

Part of our strategy for the business course is to inspire the participants by asking successful businessmen and women from their own community to come and talk about how they got started, the challenges of their business and advice for new entrepreneurs. This provides real life examples they can follow and proves that good business is possible. 

The first businessman who shared about his experience was Anter Shadad who started with only 45LE with which he purchased a razor, began a haircutting business in his kitchen. He practiced different patterns on his family members and invited friends to give them haircuts. For three years, people came to his kitchen to get their hair cut. 

When the business grew Mr. Shadad moved his service to a new location. He now treats customers in his own shop and specializes in Sudanese and Nigerian hairstyles. He began advertising his service to potential customers over the phone, and continues to find that giving number to people after he cuts their hair to be the most effective way of keeping his business going.

The challenge 

Mr. Shadad shared with the participants that his biggest challenge in the new location is that he lacks access to water, which limits the service he can provide for his customers. Though he was only invited to share his experience he is now attending the course with the others, and is eager to learn how to improve his hair-cutting business. He even gained some new customers from the course participants.

How you can pray:

Thank the Lord for encouraging outcomes from the first three days of the course. The participants are passionate about their ideas and want to learn.

Ask the Lord to bless the remaining seven days of the course classes, for the teachers to communicate effectively, and for the participants to be encouraged day by day as they learn the steps of starting a business.

By Christine Kazar for Hope for MENA