Stitching together a future: Asha’s sewing business

After being displaced from her home community to Nertiti, Asha* found herself facing significant responsibilities within her family. Her mother was seriously unwell and required hospital treatment, while her father lives with a disability that prevents him from working. With her family depending on her, learning a practical skill which provides a reliable source of income offered a chance to help those she loves the most in facing difficult circumstances.

Through a livelihoods programme implemented by the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) and funded by the Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance (BHA), Asha enrolled in six weeks of vocational training in sewing. During the training, she developed the skills needed to produce items for sale and take her first steps towards running her own business.

On completion of the course, Asha received a sewing machine and the materials needed to put her new skills into practice and establish a small business from home. She has since begun producing items for sale in the local market, using her newly acquired skills to generate an income and contribute towards her family's needs.

For Asha, this is about much more than financial independence

Behind every small business and new livelihood lies determination, and Asha is doing everything she can to support those she loves.

Asha's story is a reminder that economic recovery begins with a single opportunity: the chance to learn a skill, access the tools to put it into practice, and earn an income through a person’s own effort.

For her, every stitch represents another opportunity to provide for her family and face the challenges ahead.

*The name Asha is a pseudonym. Identifying details have been withheld to protect the privacy of households.