Small business owners advise young people not to underestimate any idea and to strive to develop it (Getty)

Amman -

With the increasing rates of poverty and unemployment among the population, and in light of the difficult economic conditions that Jordan is experiencing, the unemployment rate reached 22.3% in the third quarter of 2023, according to the Jordanian Department of Statistics, while 35% of the total population in Jordan suffers from poverty, That is, approximately 3.9 million people out of a population of 11.3 million are classified as poor, according to a World Bank report.

In light of these numbers, many citizens resort to launching small home projects to combat poverty and unemployment, and obtain the minimum requirements for a decent life for themselves and their families.

These projects do not cost a lot of money to enter their market, but they require perseverance and determination to start and continue until they achieve success, and what is most important is knowing what you want to do, and there are many and many examples of men and women who did not surrender to the difficult economic conditions, nor to the obstacles and frustrations, so they started their home projects, They are now reaping what they worked hard for.

This Al Jazeera Net report highlights a number of these experiments that struggled to achieve success.

Start for only 10 dinars

Mrs. Fatima Al-Saleh, known as “Umm Hamza Al-Basoul,” found herself facing a real dilemma after her husband found himself without work following the Corona (Covid-19) pandemic, and with her children in schools and universities, in addition to high prices, life requirements, and the insufficient small pension. For her husband to meet these requirements.

Umm Hamza was famous in her neighborhood for her prowess in cooking and preparing popular foods and sweets, so she decided, after much thought, to start her own project to manufacture sweets, popular foods and meals.

Mrs. Fatima Al-Saleh started her home project in making popular foods, which became her family’s main source of income within a short period (Al-Jazeera)

Mrs. Umm Hamza says, “I started with only 10 dinars (about 14 dollars), when I went to the market and bought flour, sesame, oil, and the requirements for preparing cakes and nettle, which is a special Jordanian bread served on holidays and occasions and is very popular.”

Umm Hamza continues her story, “I prepared cakes and nettles, then I went to a nearby school where one of my relatives works, and I showed the product to the school principal and teachers, who liked what I made and bought the entire quantity that I had, and recommended another, larger quantity. I returned home with 30 dinars in my pocket, and I was happy.” overwhelming.”

This initial success was a great and decisive motivation for Mrs. Fatima to continue working, as she created, with the help of her daughter, a private page on Facebook and another on Instagram, and began publishing short videos about her sweets and popular food products.

Mrs. Fatima now earns at least a thousand Jordanian dinars per month ($1,400), which is enough to secure a decent life for her and her family and teach her son at university. She plans to expand and open her own restaurant in the future.

When passion turns into a profession

Sherif Kattaneh is an ambitious young man seeking to create a family and a future for himself after graduating from university, but his income from his job was not helping him to do so. Sherif says, “I was working in a Jordanian institution, but the income was not enough, and I found myself in dire need of finding an additional source of income that I could rely on.” This is what prompted me to look at the possibility of starting a small business that I can manage from home.”

Sharif was a fan of computers and the Internet, and decided to develop his passion by learning more about the field and specializing in electronic marketing and website design. He also benefited from the open resources provided by the Internet, and little by little he mastered the profession of design, marketing and digital.

Sherif says, “After deep thought, I decided to take advantage of what I had learned and my acquired experience to start a small project that provides digital marketing services to small and medium-sized companies and individuals, managing online advertising campaigns, and designing and developing websites.”

Sherif Kattaneh benefited from the open resources provided by the Internet, and little by little he mastered the profession of design and digital marketing (Shutterstock)

Sharif faced many obstacles in his beginning, including financial constraints, intense competition in the digital marketing market, and sometimes technical difficulties. “But with challenge and hard work, in addition to my communication and persuasion skills, I was able to overcome these obstacles and turn them into opportunities for learning and growth,” says Sherif.

He confirms that "one of the main factors for the project's success was continuity in learning and developing skills. I always sought to improve myself and learn from failed experiences and turn them into constructive lessons. In addition, commitment and perseverance were an essential part of the project's success."

As for the financial income from the project, Sharif confirms that it was "fluctuating at the beginning of the project, but with the passage of time and the expansion of the customer base, conditions improved and revenues increased. The income is still not stable at times, but it is certainly sufficient to meet the basic needs of me and my family."

Sherif Kattaneh gives advice to unemployed youth who are looking for opportunities in the field of entrepreneurship, and says, “I advise them to identify their skills and interests and invest in developing them, in addition to benefiting from open or subsidized sources provided by the government or private institutions, and exploring the horizons that social media opens up to them.” "Social."

Hello Terrarium

Engineer Taqa Mahmoud Al-Salem found herself unemployed after she graduated from the College of Agricultural Engineering. She always aspired to continue her studies, but financial circumstances did not help her achieve this dream.

Taqa loved reading since she was young, and in the meantime she read about a rare project to raise natural tropical plants inside closed glass containers that do not open after planting them, which is called the “closed terrarium.”

Taqa says, “The terrarium is a miniature tropical forest that represents the natural environment of forests, and it gives you the opportunity to have a miniature garden inside the house, and enjoy its growth inside the glass aquarium. It does not require constant care, as it suffices with the circulation of water and gases inside the closed aquarium. It is a completely closed system that does not open.” After planting it.”

Engineer Taqa Mahmoud Al-Salem launched her project to grow natural tropical plants inside closed glass containers that do not open after planting them (Al-Jazeera)

Taqa borrowed 200 Jordanian dinars ($282), purchased the required raw materials, and began experimenting with growing terrariums in her home.

All the first experiments failed, but she repeated the experiment again and again, until she succeeded in growing her first plants, and she was extremely happy with the success that came after many failed experiments.

Taqa describes these moments: “My success was initially due to the grace of God Almighty, and after that it was due to my stubbornness, my great determination, and my continued work despite many failed attempts. I also found great encouragement from my family.”

The first income that Taqa achieved was by selling a glass terrarium garden to a doctor working in a hospital in the Jordanian capital, Amman. “The doctor stood in awe of the beauty of the view and paid me 100 dinars ($140). This was my first income from the project, and this gave me a major boost.” To continue and continue.”

Currently, Taqa is completing her master’s studies at the university with the proceeds from her project. She says, advising young men and women who find themselves without work after graduation, “My advice is that everything in this life starts from a small idea. You should not underestimate any idea that may come to your mind, because it may It will be the golden idea that will lift you up and push you forward, and you must insist and persevere and not surrender in the face of moments of failure. The more you strive, the better results you will achieve, so there is no despair in life.”

Taqa currently aspires to open her own store, which will ensure her expansion under the name “Hello Terrarium” and enter the world of large decorations and designs that go into interior design as a basic detail for closed natural walls, and to create innovative, distinctive and unique designs. She also aspires for the terrarium to become an agricultural culture and a new development in The world of design in particular and decoration in general.

Source: Al Jazeera