Female Youth Venture the Entrepreneurship Scene

Three female youth engage with local and regional entrepreneurship scene

USAID YouthPower, which aims to advance youth engagement with relevant stakeholders for linkages and sustainability purposes, empowered three female youth awardees with in-kind small grants to participate at the virtual International Entrepreneurship Symposium 2020 in November. The grants enabled them to venture further into the entrepreneurial scene. Moreover the youth participation exposed them to further important chances to blend within the job market, and enable them network in a segment that focuses on the digital entrepreneurship. The three female champions hold a common dream, which is to support and grow alongside their peers, so together they embarked on a journey to rise within their communities.

Our first female champion is 29-year-old Razan Khelfeh, who holds a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature from the University of Petra. Through an initiative she designed entitled Caravan Razan, Razan aims to create a safe learning space to close the gap in the quality of education between public and private school students’ knowledge. Caravan Razan makes use of creative and enjoyable methods that help strengthen reading, writing and mathematical skills among youth. In addition, this informal learning space will offer literacy courses to school drop-outs to reintegrate them with their peers and support them with their broader goals.

“I aim to continue providing educational support in alternative methodologies for as long as there are students in need of my services,” Razan said as she presented her initiative at the Symposium.

Our second entrepreneur is Wesam Al Halahleh, a 26-year-old electrical engineer who resides in Um Albasateen with an undying passion in digital marketing. She presented Al-Wasem initiative which aims to digitally market the Na’oor community’s women-owned home-based businesses in the local market. Wesam collaborates with industry experts to assess these women’s products based on market standards, and trains them on digital marketing and product packaging to better serve the growth of their business.

“I believe that to break out of the marginalization of our community, we must start with empowering its women,” Wesam said from her booth at the Symposium.

Our third champion is Ruba Haddad, 28, has an educational background in marketing and passion in visual arts and fashion. Similar to her aforementioned peers, Ruba launched an initiative to economically empower female youth in Bader community entitled Your Old is My New.

Through her initiative, Ruba targets female youth and introduces them to textile recycling techniques to help them establish their own workshops and gain financial independence. Recently and after her participation at the Symposium, a renowned local fashion designer adopted Ruba’s ideas and offered her a physical space including an outlet and a workshop, in addition to personal coaching and mentorship.

USAID YouthPower continues to empower youth like Razan, Wesam and Ruba to act as productive members of society with the agency to promote for themselves and to shape services designed to better prepare them and their peers to enter the workforce.