Turning Barriers into Business: Fatima’s Art Workshop in Şanlıurfa

For Fatima, living in Şanlıurfa, "helping others" was never a question; it was simply part of life. For years, she worked with non-governmental organizations, supporting women and children and leaving a quiet impact on countless lives. At the time she applied for DRC’s livelihoods support, she did not have a stable income source or formal employment, despite her professional experience. Yet while she dedicated herself to repairing the wounds of others, her own dream was repeatedly placed on hold; to build her own business and stand on her own feet as a woman entrepreneur.

The obstacle before Ms. Fatima was only the lack of funds. She was also struggling against the invisible walls of society. Each time she tried to step into the business world as a woman, she heard the same sentences again and again; “You can’t do it, you won’t manage, this job is hard…”

These demotivating remarks, combined with a lack of capital, kept her from taking that step, despite her years of experience. "I wanted to, but I was afraid," says Ms. Fatima, reflecting on that period. “Because I didn’t have financial power, my dreams always remained at the planning stage.”

One Spark is Enough

The spark, Ms. Fatima had been waiting for, finally arrived when her path crossed with the Danish Refugee Council (DRC). However, the support she received was more than a financial grant. It was the return of the courage she thought she had lost.

She first received entrepreneurship training, then learned the official procedures required to start a formal business. Finally, with equipment support, the pieces of a puzzle she had been assembling in her mind for years fell into place. Funded by BMZ through KFW, DRC provided this “lifeline” which lifted the constant “you can’t” pressure that had long weighed on Ms. Fatima.

Funded by the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) via KfW Development Bank, Ms. Fatima joined DRC’s BRIDGES project, which supports displacement-affected individuals through market-driven and gender-responsive economic assistance. Through the project, she received entrepreneurship training, business development technical support, and in-kind equipment assistance tailored to her business plan. This integrated support enabled her to move from planning to formal self-employment, establish her workshop, and generate a sufficient and sustainable income, strengthening her financial independence and long-term self-reliance.

From NGO Worker to Employer

And that day came. Ms. Fatima, who once worried, saying “I have no capital,” is today the founder of a comprehensive art centre in Şanlıurfa, the Dojo Art Workshop. She is now a businesswoman who has claimed her financial independence and is supporting her family while contributing positively to her wider community.