Amman, Sept. 29 (Petra) -- Jordanian women are turning ideas born from personal dreams or community needs into entrepreneurial ventures that provide income and employment opportunities, while also creating avenues for persons with disabilities and their families to participate in economic activity.

Their experiences demonstrate how entrepreneurship can contribute to economic empowerment, participation and productivity, while highlighting the determination of Jordanian women to turn ideas into viable sources of income and benefit from training, mentoring and support to develop their businesses.

In Jazazah area of Jerash Governorate, Maryam Freihat transformed her desire to preserve her ancestors’ heritage into a tourism project called "My Grandfather’s House Guesthouse." The project offers hospitality, traditional food and experiences reflecting the authenticity of the local community and its heritage. Her venture later expanded to include members of her family, among them two children with disabilities.

Freihat told Petra that turning her idea into a sustainable business required her to develop her business management skills. She participated in the "Ofoq – Inclusive Entrepreneurship Program for Persons with Disabilities," implemented under the Entrepreneurship for Sustainable Economic Development and Employment project by the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), in cooperation with the Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship.

The program is jointly funded by the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, in cooperation with the Northern Entrepreneurship Network.

Freihat said the program helped her organize her work and gain a better understanding of essential aspects of running a business, including calculating costs and profits, pricing products, documenting activities, marketing and attracting visitors.

Her children with disabilities also benefited from various training programs. Her son attended courses in barista skills, hospitality and beadwork, while her daughter received training in henna art, beadwork and hospitality.

She said the training provided them with practical skills that enabled them to participate in the project’s work and production activities. Her son now helps provide hospitality services and carries out other tasks related to the project, while her daughter works alongside her mother in preparing products.

Freihat added that their involvement had strengthened their self-confidence and improved their ability to interact with visitors and take part in productive work.

The project has also created work and participation opportunities for members of the family, while providing women from the local community with an opportunity to display and market their products to visitors, expanding the number of people benefiting from the economic activity generated by the project.

Tareq Shatnawi, director of the Princess Basma Development Center in Jerash, affiliated with the Jordanian Hashemite Fund for Human Development, said the center has been one of the founding partners of the Northern Entrepreneurship Network since its establishment in 2024.

He said the center participates in the network’s programs aimed at developing the skills of people with business ideas and entrepreneurial projects, providing them with guidance and connecting them with relevant institutions. Shatnawi said the center was responsible for training beneficiaries of the "Ofoq – Inclusive Entrepreneurship Program for Persons with Disabilities."

During 2026, he added, the center, in cooperation with other network members, participated in delivering training and mentoring programs, developing ideas and prototypes, and assessing entrepreneurial projects.

He said the network provides a collaborative framework that brings together institutions and organizations supporting entrepreneurship, helping expand access to training, mentoring and support for people with business ideas and entrepreneurial projects.

Shatnawi noted that, as part of its role within the network, the center places particular emphasis on expanding economic participation opportunities for persons with disabilities and their families by equipping them with the necessary skills and providing guidance throughout the process of developing their ideas and turning them into viable projects.

The programs and training delivered under this framework benefited 30 persons with disabilities, 30 parents, and seven founders, he said.

In the village of Burma, Buthaina Azamat began another small-scale entrepreneurial venture from her home, using simple educational games and tools to establish a project she called "Al-Amal" (Hope).

Her goal was to provide support services for children with disabilities and children experiencing learning difficulties, allowing them to access such services closer to their families.

Azamat’s experience shows that the impact of a project is not necessarily determined by its size, but by its ability to provide needed services where families can access them and help reduce the barriers they face.

Speaking to Petra, Azamat said launching her home-based project did not require substantial resources as much as it required determination to enter the world of entrepreneurship and turn her idea into reality.

She said her efforts were not limited to achieving economic empowerment and creating a source of income, but also focused on supporting members of her local community by providing services at affordable prices that take families’ financial circumstances into consideration.

Azamat explained that limited resources at the beginning did not prevent her from taking the first step. Her determination to develop the idea encouraged her to seek training and guidance and acquire the skills needed to manage the project and improve the services provided to children and their families.

She said the lack of nearby rehabilitation services was among the factors that encouraged her to establish the project, noting that making such services available in the area can support children with disabilities, enhance their opportunities for education and inclusion, and help them develop their abilities.

Training and mentoring, she added, were an important part of her entrepreneurial experience, enabling her to develop her skills, manage her project and establish a source of income.

Azamat described entrepreneurship as a "determination and challenge," saying her experience combines economic empowerment with providing a service to the community.

She encouraged women who have an idea or skill that could be turned into a business to take the first step and work on developing their ideas, strengthening their economic empowerment while providing a service to their communities.

The experiences of Freihat and Azamat reflect the efforts of Jordanian women to transform ideas into opportunities for work and production, drawing on training and mentoring to develop their projects.

Their ventures have also extended beyond economic empowerment to create opportunities for persons with disabilities and their families to participate and become more involved in economic and social life.

Their stories highlight how entrepreneurship can provide women with a practical path toward economic participation while allowing their projects to respond to needs within their communities.

//Petra//WH

29/09/2026 10:46:49