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Life is full of difficulties and hardships hindering a dependent person of taking wise decisions and confronting reality.
Not only financial burdens affect or direct ambitions; however, the sense of achievement and independence directed Manal, 34, and mother of 3 children in different stages of education to establish in partnership with her sister, a project specialized in selling gifts, although both ladies are financially stable.
The idea of the project started when Manal researched the gifts’ market.
At that time the trends of gifts were perfumes and watches and she realized that she had to come up with creative ideas to attract customers. Manal collected ideas from the internet about gifts such as wooden frames, toys and notebooks using the wood engraving and printmaking techniques. Her challenge was to find suppliers of the raw material so she reached some of them in Cairo, Alexandria and Fayoum.
Manal explained that any product goes through different sequential stages; the product design starts with drawing on photoshop, then wood cutting and engraving by laser machine, then the coloring stage and eventually the finishing stage then the item comes to light. Manal markets her products on her Facebook group where she has 75,000 likes as well as marketing in other pages.
The project was very successful and required more raw material and supplies that is why Manal sought Al Tadamun Microfinance Foundation; she was given EGP 18000 loan to help her expand her artistic project.
Manal wishes to develop her project and open many branches nationwide. She advises youth not to give up and to be independent, to educate themselves and pursue work opportunities under harsh conditions.