Economic Growth Egypt Project #9108

Financial Inclusion in Egypt - Empower 8000 women

by Coptic Orphans

Project Report | Jun 3, 2019
Financial Independence: A Reason to Feel Empowered

By Suzanne Toma | Director of Communications

A B'edaya mother poses for a picture in her home.

“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” Many of us are familiar with this old adage. But to many B’edaya widows, it's not just a saying -- it’s an expression of a new strategy in life.

Heba, a B'edaya mother, who was widowed in 2005, at the age of 30, found herself in a crisis. Her husband, who worked as a driver, was the primary source of income. Without him, she could not support her family. Heba had only received an elementary education and finding any form of work was very difficult in her village.

Living with her children in a small house with only basic utilities, Heba needed to devise a strategy for supporting her family.

She noticed her village's rising demand for animal feed. Many of the villagers desperately needed grains for their livestock, particularly chickens who were used to supply the village with poultry.

Heba quickly realized she could start her own business by making animal feed for these villagers. Heba decided to use legumes, which were cheap and relatively easy to harvest. At first, Heba struggled to get her business off the ground. However, after three years of hard work and steady demand, she received a microloan from the Coptic Orphans B'edaya program.

With this seed funding, Heba finally had the capital to buy enough supplies to meet demand. B'edaya staff also visited her and offered their support as she faced the typical challenges associated with starting a new business.

Soon Heba’s business built its own reputation in the village. Villagers came to trust her product as well as Heba’s expertise. With the success of her venture, Heba expanded her offerings by using additional revenue, to harvest different legumes and create different types of feed for different livestock.

Moreover, although Egypt’s market volatility impacted other businesses in the area, demand for Heba’s feed continued to grow.

To those who did not know her, Heba may have seemed like just another widower in one of Egypt’s poorest villages. But to the Coptic Orphans reps who believed in her, she was so much more: she was a model of self-sufficiency -- proof that women in Egypt, (even widows who are considered the worst off) could gain financial independence, and in the process, claim a sense of empowerment that they had never felt before.

Heba’s growing confidence in her own skills also changed her outlook on life. She now exhibits focus and leadership and proudly describes her experience “I’m the only provider to my neighbors in the village. Everyone knows me well. I feel different about myself. B’edaya microloans helped me to increase my revenue and invest that revenue back into the business. Now I can pay my bills, cover my household expenses, save money for the future, and continue to run my business without a lot of risk.”

Heba is one of many confident entrepreneurs in the B’edaya Microloan Program sponsored by Coptic Orphans. Through microloans, women come to see themselves as more than just widows, but competent and talented individuals equally capable of caring for their families through the creation of unique business ventures that serve their community.

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Mar 8, 2019
Honoring B'edaya Mothers in the International Women's Day

By Angie Henein | Program Associate

B'edaya mother during working in her business

March is designated to celebrate women all over the world. Mothers, sisters, girls, daughters, companions, friends, coworkers, entrepreneurs, professionals; regardless of the title or the role, their part in moving life forward is indispensable. However, while there were three women honored in 2018 by winning Noble prize for their achievements and contribution to humanity, there are women wrestling to barely afford a decent life for their children. In B’edaya, we aim to empower widowed mothers to pursue their dreams and support them in their life-long struggles. Throughout your donations that served as micro-loans for the mothers, some women started the business of their dreams, while others grew their existing businesses.

In this report, we honor our mothers who stood strong while simultaneously taking care of their households and small businesses despite the harsh circumstances that surround them. In the 3^rd round of B’edaya, some of the mothers encountered market challenges that threatened their businesses. Against all odds, their will was stronger than any struggle. Here we honor Naila*. As a widowed mother, she had to take care of her 5 daughters, and fulfill their needs, while keeping up with her kidney medication She had no source of income except her skills in tailoring. She began to tailor women’s clothes in a small room in her apartment where she lives with her daughters. She made women’s clothes with old equipment which was not efficient. All what she hoped for was to purchase newer equipment to improve the finishing of her production. B’edaya micro-loans empowered Naila to buy the required equipment and boost her clientele. However, the time that her reputation grew in the market, four other businesses started in her area which affected her business for a while. That didn’t stop her! On the contrary, she made an alternative marketing strategy. She sold her production for lower prices than her competitors and searched for different areas to market her products. Her determination parted the waters for her. Naila’s strategy helped her retain her customers and increased her income. Moreover, she was offered to partner with others to start a tailoring workshop. Along with her project in B’edaya, Naila started the partnership and became a well-known business owner. Naila made 80 graduation robes for the church and won a tender to supply the Mothers’ Day gifts in her area. Naila said “The difficulty that I am facing now is to be able to finish the requested work! I’m thinking of buying another sewing machine and hiring another person to assist me”. Despite of her health condition, Naila is very committed to her business and pays the loans installments on time. Furthermore, she realized her self-worth as an independent woman and a resilient mother.

It is not the story of Naila only. It is the story of heroine mothers who fight daily challenges and conquer one challenge at a time. Through B’edaya, the mothers unlock their potential and are capable to run their business the way that made them feel independent, productive, powerful and strong pillars in their families and communities. Let’s extend honoring Naila and the rest of B’edaya mothers through donations to acknowledge their efforts, and continue helping them to have the decent life they deserve.

** Names changed to protect mothers’ privacy

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Jan 2, 2019
From a Vulnerable Widow to a Self-Confident Business Owner

By Nermien Riad | Executive Director

One of B'edaya mothers in her working room

By the grace of God, and the generosity of our donors, B’edaya micro-lending initiative is transforming widowed mothers from helpless, house-bound widows into self-sufficient businesswomen, role models for their children, and assets to their communities. Be’daya is funding 37 micro-businesses of different types and across all of Egypt—from raising livestock to offering services and selling goods.

All of the 37 mothers are showing a high level of efficacy and commitment in running their projects and overcoming both market and personal challenges. Fouada*--one of the diligent mothers who stood strong for her project—had become a widow in her late 30s and lived with her little family in her parents-in-law’s house. Fouada made bed sheets and sold them in churches and public exhibitions, but wasn’t able to produce more beyond the capacity of her existing equipment. After qualifying for a B’edaya micro-loan, she took the business to another level; she did not stop at making bedsheets but extended the business to making curtains and backpacks from recycled fabrics. Fouada achieved huge success, and retail stores allocated special shelf space in their shops for her products. “I spend most of my time in my working room. The feeling of owning my business inspires me to dream of one day having a workshop or a factory of my own.” Fouada said. She added that her relationship with her children improved; instead of perceiving her as an illiterate mother, they started to think of her as a successful business owner and a strong woman.

B’edaya doesn’t only transform the widowed mothers’ financial conditions but also helps change the way they are perceived within their families and within their communities.

We are grateful to God for His abundant grace and provision for the mothers and their businesses. We also thank our donors who are passionate about our work, and through their donations, Be’daya is able to reach more mothers to support.

*Names are changed to maintain the privacy of our mothers.

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