<\/p>\n
Arabic: \u0627\u0644\u0639\u0631\u0628\u064a\u0629<\/a><\/p>\n Monday, 5 September 2022<\/strong><\/p>\n Asma\u2019 Sweirky, a 29-year-old entrepreneur from Gaza, holds a master\u2019s degree in Chemistry, and the founder and owner of \u201cAsala\u00a0for vinegar products\u201d. She employs a number of women, who are the main breadwinners of their families, and who come from low-income background, widows, divorced and survivors of violence.<\/p>\n \u201cI started my business combining both my educational background and my passion to produce natural food products. We make natural vinegar products using apple, grape, garlic, ginger and thyme vinegars, without any preservatives and chemicals. This made our products more competitive in the limited vinegar market in Gaza\u201d says Asma\u2019.<\/p>\n Since there are very few job opportunities in Gaza for young women, this business helped Asma\u2019 to be economically independent, and assist her family financially. As a business owner, Asma\u2019 feels that she has a better position in her community.<\/p>\n \u201cI started this business with one product only, apple vinegar, selling my products to family and friends. My business was registered in 2018. The demand started to increase gradually, and so did my production and supply. The rising awareness among people in Gaza to use natural and organic products helped in growing the market demand, especially after the Covid-19 pandemic\u201d, Asma\u2019 added.<\/p>\n \u201cI am thankful for the Ministry of National Economy, UN Women, and the Ministry of Women\u2019s Affairs, for their support and reaching out to women entrepreneurs in Gaza\u201d said Asma\u2019. \u201cThe equipment I received played a key role in supporting the sustainability of my business, increasing its production capacity and my team by one woman employee.<\/p>\n Asma\u2019 added:\u201d I have now four full time and 9 part time employees (seasonal workers), and all are women, including one woman with disability. Additionally, my business\u2019 profits increased by 20 per cent, its network has four new organizations, and the sales points increased from 12 to 18. I am happy that I was able to open a bank account which has facilitated my work with the suppliers. We needed this kind of support, especially after the last war on Gaza and the Covid-19 Pandemic, which had a negative impact on our business\u201d.<\/p>\n Asma\u2019 is aspired to grow her business into specialized production facility and a factory to generate more jobs for women and export the products to other markets inside and outside Palestine.<\/p>\n \u201cI hope I can be a\u00a0positive role model for young women\u201d, said Asma\u2019. \u201cI encourage all young women and men to start and to grow their businesses and pursue their dreams. In order\u00a0for young women\u00a0to empowered economically and socially, they need to invest in their full potential, and not be affected negatively by the community\u201d.<\/p>\n Asma\u2019 is one of the women beneficiaries of the in-kind grants, provided by the Ministry of National Economy, through the Women Economic Empowerment (WEE) Fund, funded by UN Women, through the Joint Programme \u201cMitigating the impacts of COVID-19 on women\u2019s economic participation in the State of Palestine\u201d, thanks to the contributions by the Government of Norway to the UN Response and Recovery Fund.<\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Arabic: \u0627\u0644\u0639\u0631\u0628\u064a\u0629 Monday, 5 September 2022 Asma\u2019 Sweirky, a 29-year-old entrepreneur from Gaza, holds a master\u2019s degree in Chemistry, and the founder and owner of \u201cAsala\u00a0for vinegar products\u201d. She employs a number of women, who are the main breadwinners of their families, and who come from low-income background, widows, divorced and survivors of violence. 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