“I quickly sold my first batch of products from my home in Dara’a based on their quality”
Njoud becomes a mooneh entrepreneur in Daraa
“FAO’s ‘Nabta’ programme has helped me to develop a business! Thanks to the inspiring and useful information I received, as well as the grant and tools. People are now interested in the products I offer as they are quality products that follow hygiene standards and have no added preservatives.” – Njoud Mahameed, a 42-year-old woman head of household from Dara’a Governorate.
Njoud’s life took a sudden turn when she was forced to leave her village of Ataman at the onset of the crisis in Syria, leaving behind a stable nursing career. The family returned to Ataman in 2018 to find an empty village and their home looted. Njoud had to rebuild her life from scratch and provide for the family by making ‘mooneh’ (processed local food for domestic consumption). It was only later that she thought of turning this skill into a commercial business.
Learning the trade
“It is a tradition that women in rural areas gather to help each other make homemade food.” Said Njoud. “From this, I learnt different processing techniques and could choose a suitable and favourable option for each item,” she added. At first, Njoud received small orders for some of her products and just made a little income. She needed to figure out a way to increase her income. This is when she realized the importance of budgeting and small business management, so she decided to enrol into FAO ‘Nabta’ entrepreneurship programme for agri-business, implemented under the UN Joint Programme on Rural and Urban Resilience - funded by the EU and Norway.
Njoud, and the other 85 beneficiaries, learnt about business management, marketing, branding and more. She also received a grant, with nine other beneficiaries, to equip her business with a gas cooker, blender, scale, and jars. In a short time, the products have become famous in the community: “I quickly sold my first batch of products at home in Ataman, thanks to their distinctive quality and the managerial skills I learned at ‘Nabta’.
The profits helped me rent a small shop and position my products as a well-known local brand.” This is no coincidence for Njoud, who credits ‘Nabta’ for the change in mindset allowing her to map out the business plan: “I transformed my working style from being opportunistic to becoming an organized business owner who monitors the budget, promotes products, and most importantly knows how to assess each item’s feasibility,” she said.
Teeming with life
Njoud’s shop has become a bustling gathering place for families and neighbours coming to help - over a cup of coffee - contributing to the social cohesion of the neighbourhood and strengthening bonds between people.
Njoud’s shop is now a household name in the community, as far as the Naseeb border between Syria and Jordan. Her shelves are packed with dried Muloukhia (jute mallow leaves), Makdous, olives, pepper and tomato paste, dried vegetables, and bulgur. As she believes that the market is still full of opportunities, she tries to make new recipes and flavours to expand her business: “I feel happy when new customers arrive on the recommendation. My children also help me promote my products on social media, so I know there is a high demand and limited competition. I need to buy better equipment, repair the shop, get a solar dryer, olive press, and other tools to meet this demand” she says.
Her aspirations exceed the mere business aspect of this project, and the mother of two sons sees it as a chance to give her family a better life: “We have been through a lot. I want my business to do well and to become a processing unit. This way I can have a stable income to pay for my children’s education, and to build their homes to settle down and start their own families” she concludes.
The UN Joint Programme on Rural and Urban Resilience build on the comparative advantage of the six participating UN agencies–FAO, UNDP, UNFPA, UN-Habitat, UNICEF, and WFP–under the leadership of the UN Resident Coordinator to provide integrated responses to multifaceted resilience challenges in Syria.