Discovering a new path

Stories about resilience

For refugees uprooted by war, using their artistic talents and creative skills is a great way to feel included and protected. Through our livelihood interventions, we wanted to give artists, craftsmen and artisans a chance to use their talents to generate income and to support them to develop professionally to demonstrate the transformative power of creativity and craftsmanship.

The Danish Refugee Council’s Economic Recovery programming aims to help refugees establish sustainable sources of income to enable them to live a more dignified life during their displacement. We believe that by supporting them to improve their ability to pursue and achieve sustainable livelihoods, they can minimise their vulnerability to any future shocks related to their displacement.

Our wage and self-employment interventions help build a stronger economic foundation at individual and household levels promoting self-reliance, increasing access to inclusive economic growth and contributing to local integration as a durable solution to displacement.

In our interventions, we also include members of the Turkish host community who have been affected by displacement, pandemic and economic recession.

The love of art

One day, she was buying roses in a flower shop when she noticed that the flower pots were not made of the right materials. The pots were fragile and not suitable for plants that need a large amount of water.

She knew that because she studied construction materials such as steel and cement. In that moment, she had an idea. She has more knowledge than some other pot manufacturers, so it would be good to use that knowledge and produce better quality flower pots.

She could create different designs and explore her love for art. Still, there was a problem: how to begin? She did not have the equipment or the materials needed for this kind of business. Later, she heard about the business development centre run by İnsani Gelişme Vakfı (INGEV) in partnership with the Danish Refugee Council (DRC).

Funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) through KFW-German Development Bank, the centre supports entrepreneurs from refugee and host communities with both technical and start-up capital assistance to open their own businesses.

To prepare them to succeed in the Turkish market, the centre provides different types of trainings such as project and finance management, marketing, and Turkish labour law before selecting training graduates with strong business plans to give them start-up grants. 

Helpful guidance

Opening a business sounded like a daunting endeavor to Damla. She never thought of running a business before this moment, but she decided to do it. She was impressed by the quality and content of the trainings. 

“They were very useful,” she says. 

“I learned how to write a business plan, seek sales channels and set up a business in a professional manner. They made me think in a new way since my background is different.”

Afterward, her proposal got accepted and the staff provided her constant technical guidance.

“They were with me in every step I made,” Damla says. 

“Through their counseling, they helped me fill the gaps I had.”

Damla has bigger dreams. She is planning to buy more equipment to expand her business and make it a gift shop.

“INGEV and DRC helped me start a business aligned with my abilities and objectives. My dreams were simple and I never thought that I could be a business owner, but here I am. I know now I am able to do anything.”