“I would like to see greater resolve among the local community to employ deprived members of society; in particular, orphans and those with a disability who live in the area,” Khaldoun shares. “My greatest ambition is to expand my business and ensure that more local orphans and youth with special needs are amongst the beneficiaries of this project.” Khaldoun Mahmood Ali is a 43-year-old Jordanian who lives in Al Russayfah, northeast Amman, together with his wife and their four children. Thanks to LEADERS, a project funded by the EU Trust Fund in response to the Syrian Crisis, he recently opened his own shop and has substantially increased his daily income.

“After my application, I had an interview during which I detailed the project, the implementation steps I had in mind, the products needed for it and the way I planned to source these products. My project was approved and I got the grant. Then, I went on several training sessions that helped me to shape and develop the project further. I learned how to preserve my existing capital, spread the workload and manage my time. I also learned how to manage my expenditure, like the money needed for raw materials, the rent, etc.

“I received €1,800 of the total grant money once I completed the training, which I used to rent and refurbish a workspace. I then bought raw material with the remaining €1,200 of the grant money, and began producing products. I also started selling my pieces at the local market and I hired a young boy with special needs to help.“

The LEADERS project promotes inclusive local economic empowerment and development towards resilience and social stability in Jordan and Lebanon. It is funded by the EU Trust Fund and implemented by the Danish Refugee Council (DRC), ACTED, CARE, OXFAM and the Makhzoumi Foundation.