supported entrepreneurs

najafy: "handmade scarves made of camel's hair"

"Camel's hair is heavy, soft fabric, made of double humped camel".
Once spring comes, big pieces of hair fall down. Arabs in Irag, specially in Al Najaf city, collect these pieces to process it and produce blankets, cloaks, and scarves."

"Al Jdydeh" is very poor village, has wonderful landscape. The women there are very  ambitious to improve their life, but don’t know how could they start.
Awatef Hasan is lady from Al Jdydeh, mother of five. Lives very close to Salah A-Din citadel. Supported by the Village Business Incubator, Awatef started her own business. She joined the VBI in the year of 2010 to have the support needed for making use of skill she had to increase her household's income.

Awatef used the skill of knitting  inherited from her mother to make sweaters, this was the base upon it she suggested her business idea to the VBI staff,  but she wanted her business to be unique and attractive to the tourists wandering around Al Jdydeh village after they visit the citadel, thus the VBI supported her to develop this business idea.

She attended the VBI managerial training ,  flowed by specialized technical training in embroidery provided by Syrian expert in the VBI premises for one month.  
Marketing research conducted by the VBI recommended using Najafy Fabric to be embroidered and decorated for producing fashionable scarves.

This fabric is handmade, produced in Al Najef city in Iraq from the camel's hair, imported to Damascus. Awatef secures this fabric from Damascus by transportation agency, then she embroider it with Islamic and Syrian historical drawings.

Awatef named her business is "Najafy" according to Al Najaf city, she sales her products to the tourists visiting Salah Adin Castle. They highly appreciate her products since they are handmade and beautiful.