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EU Regional Trust Fund in Response to the Syrian crisis

Painting on Glass for A Better Future

khaldoun.jpg

"Before the project started, I wasn't even earning 3 euros a day. I was struggling. Now, I have a stable source of daily income. I've gone from making 2,50€ daily to making 35-50€ daily."

42 year-old and father-of-four Khaldoun comes from Russayfah in Zarqa Governorate in Jordan. Passionate about handicrafts, he is a dedicated volunteer acting for the well-being of orphans and special need youth in his area. Khaldoun struggled for many years to make ends meet.

Things changed when he got a grant from the Trust Fund supported LEADERS project to kick start his business ideas.

“In a meeting in Russayfah, I met someone from LEADERS. I was told that they were selecting organisations that stood out in the area for grants. I applied. My project was approved and I got a grant”, he explains.

Khaldoun received 3,000 €. With this grant, he rented a work space for his artwork and bought the raw material he needed to get started.

But Khaldoun’s successful business venture was not supported only through this grant. Trainings and sustained guidance also helped him manage his shop optimally.

He says: “I went on several training sessions where I learnt leadership skills. I learnt how to deal with my expenditure, like the money needed for raw material, the rent for the shop, and how to get acquainted with the external market.”

Khaldoun has now managed to successfully turn his handicraft skills into a profitable business, where he primarily seeks to employ youth with special needs from his community.

“This is my greatest ambition: that I can expand my business and that more orphans and youth with special needs are amongst the beneficiaries of this project,” concludes Khaldoun whilst proudly exhibiting his artwork.