Financial Inclusion in Egypt - Empower 8000 women

Mary*, a widow from Upper Egypt, didn’t have many opportunities in the local job market after her husband died. Still, this mother was determined to work to support her children.

Mary ran a grocery store out of her own home for the next 10 years, but times were tough. She couldn’t afford to stock the shelves with many different goods, and her profit margins were incredibly slim. She needed financial assistance to turn her home business into a stable, profitable enterprise.

The Be’daya project provided Mary with the loan she needed to move her business out of her house and into a true shop. She used the leftover money to buy a refrigerator and a display for her goods. She even made her own shelves for her new shop.

Soon, Mary’s small shop transformed into one of the finest grocers in her small town. She was able to buy the seasonal goods that were in demand. Word of mouth spread throughout the town about the quality and variety of her merchandise, and her customer base continued to grow.

Mary never forgot the Be’daya project’s role in helping her succeed. “The money I received from Be’daya helped me feel it was finally safe to expand my business,” she said.

Egyptian widows with Mary’s entrepreneurial spirit aren’t hard to find; they simply lack the financial means to achieve their business dreams and provide for their families. With your help, the Be’daya project can help these widows lift themselves out of poverty and create a new generation of Egyptian businesswomen.

*Name and image changed to protect the privacy and dignity of the individual. 

Links:

• Description of Be'daya project