Nabila had a dream—and the determination to match it. Nabila lives with her husband and daughter Mariam in a modest, unfinished two-story home on a small plot of land. Her husband works in agriculture, and, like many families in rural Egypt, they work hard just to make ends meet. When Nabila heard about a HANDS-sponsored […]
CONTINUE READINGIn a quiet village in Upper Egypt, Mina faced a tough reality. He had not been able to find a job since finishing school. This contributed to some strained relationships, especially with his grandfather, which left him feeling isolated and uncertain about his future. Mina was unmoored, unable to find the prospects to start his […]
CONTINUE READINGSamira traveled a grueling 10 hours from her small village in the Sohag governate of Upper Egypt to attend a HANDS-sponsored vocational training program in Cairo. She arrived in tears, having left behind her three young children in the hope that she would learn the skills she needed to provide for them. On the first day, […]
CONTINUE READINGOn a verdant stretch of green along the Nile, Hala and her husband eked out a living with his farming earnings. However, on this single income, they struggled to pay their household expenses and the school fees for their three children. Hala was determined to provide her kids with a better life. Despite her limited […]
CONTINUE READINGAt just 18, Rami took a big risk and opened his own phone repair shop. Unfortunately, his risk did not pay off and the shop failed within the first year. But, Rami would not give up; he spent the next 12 years working for local trades people and struggling to support his family on low-wage […]
CONTINUE READINGAs the daughter and wife of garbage collectors, Ragaa Bekheit could not imagine life outside of the recycling community where her family resided. Her daily life revolved around the rhythmic routine of trash collection, engaged in sorting and salvaging waste to sustain her family’s livelihood. Lacking much formal education and work experience, Ragaa faced considerable […]
CONTINUE READINGIn a room with light pink walls, behind her dark sunglasses, Nafusa tirelessly sorts through used garments of different hues and patterns. Nafusa provides for her family and helps disadvantaged members of her community through her small business as a vendor of preowned clothes. Nafusa had long dedicated her time and energy to her secondhand […]
CONTINUE READINGSitting in a room filled with colorful boxes of sweets, Zainab counts her earnings and records them with a blue pen. As a resourceful and ambitious mother providing for five children, she works relentlessly to develop her small roadside grocery store. She had initially lacked the funds to grow her business. It was only after […]
CONTINUE READINGLike many young Egyptians, Mario, from Malawy in the governorate of Minya, had been facing long-term unemployment, which left him unable to provide for himself. At 28 years old, he knew he had to make a change if he ever wanted to move out of his parent’s home and start his own family. So, […]
CONTINUE READINGExperiences, achievements, lessons-learned and recommendations gathered during the implementation of our pilot project “Activating Private Sector to Act as an Advocate for Women’s Economic Rights in the MENA Region” are now available in the booklet, in English and Arabic languages! We hope that the accomplishments and experiences in this project will continue to inspire new […]
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