“I always love to challenge myself. It makes me stronger,” Doaa told us in her workshop space at home.
The 23-year-old woman has spent an entire year looking for a job following her graduation. Yet it was only after successfully applying for the UNICEF-supported Azem programme that she was able to start her own at-home maintenance business and generate income. This was an opportunity for her to work in something she enjoys and feels comfortable doing. “It all started by helping my father with maintenance work at home. I loved watching and learning from him,” she explains.
Azem, which translates to “Determination” in English, is UNICEF’s economic empowerment and entrepreneurship programme in Jordan, implemented by our partner the Business Development Centre. It helps vulnerable youth access quality and decent jobs through self-employment. Before kick-starting her business, Doaa received training in soft and entrepreneurial skills, including business planning and financial management. The programme has also provided her with in-kind support, namely the maintenance tools she needs.
Doaa was then ready to open her own workshop at home, and requests from neighbors and relatives started flowing in. “The opportunity, and the income I started making, changed my life. I felt stronger.”
“Besides the maintenance I do in my workshop, I also travel to customers' houses when needed. Being a woman has made it easier for other women, since they often feel more comfortable with letting a woman into their house.”
However, being a female maintenance worker also comes with its challenges. “People I know were telling me how this is not a suitable job for women. A few even doubted whether I was doing the maintenance work myself. They thought it was my father. But then they saw me visiting houses,” Doaa reflects on the early months of her business. “They started trusting me more, and demand for my services increased.”
From day one, her family’s support and encouragement made a big difference. “My parents, and especially my father, used to always support and encourage me to keep working, learning and growing, no matter what the challenges are. It really motivated me to not give up on this job.”
For Doaa, it is very important for a woman to set a goal and challenge herself in order to achieve it.
“In the future, I plan on expanding and opening my own store. I hope it will create job opportunities for other women, and make this service more accessible for lots of other girls and women,” she concludes.
UNICEF is grateful to the Kingdom of the Netherlands for generously supporting the Azem programme.