This is the inspiring story of\u00a0Mariam Shaar – a\u00a0woman born and raised as a refugee in the Bourj al Barajneh refugee camp in Lebanon. The camp was established\u00a0in 1948 to accommodate displaced Palestinians, its residents unable to work or participate as citizens.<\/p>\n
Mariam, however, decided to create a source of livelihood for Palestinian refugee women in the camp.\u00a0In 2013, she went to Alfanar,\u00a0Arab region’s first venture philanthropy organization, to ask for funds to kick-start a catering venture.\u00a0She explained that this venture would help refugee women generate their own income, all while building their self-confidence and allowing them to market tasty Palestinian food that reminds them of home.<\/p>\n
Alfanar decided to take a chance on this dedicated woman.\u00a0They gave her start-up funds to form the Soufra (which means \u201cfeast\u201d in Arabic) catering unit and offered her valuable business advice.<\/p>\n
Within the first year of Soufra’s opening, they recovered most of the business costs.\u00a0As a result, the women behind this initiative were able to bring a dignified income home to their families, feel a sense of pride in their work, and they were able to have a voice in their community. Mariam and her team even\u00a0raised funds on Kickstarter to purchase a food truck and expand their small business.<\/p>\n