Her hearing disability and difficult economic conditions did not stop Nidaa Al Smadi from pursuing her dream to be self-employed.

Smadi, part of an eight-member family from the Khashiba village in Jerash governorate, said that she refused to let her loss of hearing be an obstacle standing in the way of her dreams.

"Early on in school, I developed a hobby of making art with sand. My first productions were well received by my parents, teachers and schoolmates, which encouraged me to continue,” Smadi said. 

Unfortunately, after completing school, Smadi was unable to continue education for lack of financial resources.

"Instead of pursuing higher education, I decided to work and support my family. My parents, however, were concerned about my safety due to my hearing disability,” she added.

Neverthless, Smadi was determined to push forward with her sand art project and make a living out of it. The one thing standing between her and her envisioned business was the lack of funding needed to purchase the necessary tools and raw materials.

Nonetheless, Smadi was soon introduced to an opportunity that made her change plans and shift her career.

As part of her search for funding, Smadi was referred by a local organisation to the "Enhancing access to protection, participation and services for refugee women and host communities in Jordan” project managed by the Business Development Centre (BDC).

The project is financed by the European Union through the European Union Regional Trust Fund for Responding to the Syrian Crisis, the Madad Fund, and implemented by the coalition led by the Euro-Mediterranean Feminist Initiative (EFI).

Smadi eventually enrolled in professional training in the field of cosmetology as part of the project.

"I never thought of learning the art of cosmetology, but I quickly picked up the trade, thanks to hand skills I developed earlier doing sand art. The BDC provided what I needed in terms of tools and equipment, and took care of all the logistics I needed to start up my own business,” Smadi said.

 "I intend to establish a beauty salon to serve women in my village and also help train and employ a number of them,” Smadi added.

(The Business Development Centre contributed this article to The Jordan Times)