Disir
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Safaa Sukkariah's path to starting her own company began with a misunderstanding. She thought the workshop in the Jordanian refugee camp would be about weaving nets. Instead, she learned how to repair leaky taps and clear clogged pipes. The written words in Arabic for "nets" and "plumbing work" are nearly identical, which is why Sukkariah found herself attending a sanitation training course in her early 40s.
Back in her native Syria, she once studied art and never troubled herself with plumbing. In 2012, she fled eastern Ghouta, on the outskirts of Damascus, before the war began. She has lived in Jordan ever since.
She completed the workshop in 2015 and enjoyed it. Then she discovered a gap in the market: Many women had fled Syria without their husbands. And for most single women from conservative Syrian circles, it would be unthinkable to let a stranger who is male, a handyman or otherwise, into their home. That's where women like Sukkariah come in.
Women at Work: Syrian Refugees Find Meaningful Jobs in Jordan - SPIEGEL ONLINE - International
She found a niche.
Back in her native Syria, she once studied art and never troubled herself with plumbing. In 2012, she fled eastern Ghouta, on the outskirts of Damascus, before the war began. She has lived in Jordan ever since.
She completed the workshop in 2015 and enjoyed it. Then she discovered a gap in the market: Many women had fled Syria without their husbands. And for most single women from conservative Syrian circles, it would be unthinkable to let a stranger who is male, a handyman or otherwise, into their home. That's where women like Sukkariah come in.
Women at Work: Syrian Refugees Find Meaningful Jobs in Jordan - SPIEGEL ONLINE - International
She found a niche.
