Undaunted by their harsh circumstances, and pushed by their aspiration to improve their livelihood, especially after the martyrdom of their husbands in the terrorist war waged against Syria, Mayson Hamshou and Ikhlas Flaihan have worked to establish their own projects, by obtaining a loan from the “My Project” Program that has helped them develop and market their handmade products in Ashrafyat Sahnayia area, in the Damascus countryside.
Hamshou, a wife of a martyr, has excelled in making handmade woollen products as she has turned her ideas into distinguished designs. Her talent and her passion for traditional handicrafts have been the basis for her success and for developing her work.
After the martyrdom of her husband, Hamshou realized that her responsibilities have become much bigger as she became the only breadwinner of her family and she had to exert more efforts to prove to herself to the whole of society and that the Syrian woman are able to success in any field regardless of all the difficult circumstances.
Although the loan, which Hamshou obtained, was very small, she has been able to market her products, with help from her relatives and friends, and she has been able to expand her job after exerting relentless efforts to open a commercial shop to market her products and other handmade products.
With the passage of time, Hamshou has developed her ideas and products, which are designed for both children and adults, and she started a project that would give her a bigger economic returns, making preparations for weddings.
“The job entails exerting more efforts and overcoming all the obstacles. It needs a strong will and determination,” Hamshou says.
Meanwhile, Flaihan has excelled in the handmade artworks, which depend on recycling environmental waste, in addition to the embroidery, and knitting.
“I excelled in handicrafts because I love them although I haven’t followed any training course, as my talent was the basis of my innovation,” Flaihan says, adding that she recycles materials and transforms them into beautiful decorations.
Flaihan’s love for her work made her aspire to expand it by getting a loan from the “My Project” program, which helped her bring the raw materials needed for her work.
Flaihan added that she is having difficulty marketing her products even though she participated in many exhibitions, but it is still insufficient and she is currently marketing her products through her relatives, but as the financial return is too little, so she hopes to raise the value of the loan so that she can further develop her business.
Baghdana Zain, a member of My Project Committee in Ashrafyat Sahnayia, pointed out that the committee’s role is limited to searching for needy women and getting acquainted with their abilities to work and produce and introducing them to the loans.
She added that the committee selects the neediest women to grant them microloans as a support for them to continue their work without the need for anyone.
Zain said that there are many women who have taken loans and started work and they succeeded, including those working in the “food provisions” and handicrafts and other jobs which have been the basis for their livelihood.
This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
