🌿 A Day of Hope in Gaziantep: Islamic Relief USA Meets Women Entrepreneurs Rebuilding Their Futures
A Day of Hope in Gaziantep: Islamic Relief USA Meets Women Entrepreneurs Rebuilding Their Futures
November 4, 2025 | Nawar Maarri
Some days remind us why our work matters, and a recent visit from Ghaida Ahmad, International Programs Coordinator, MENA at Islamic Relief USA, to Gaziantep was one of those days.
As we enter second year of the Empowering Women-Owned MSEs in Earthquake-Affected Regions project, generously supported by Islamic Relief USA, this visit was a beautiful reminder of how far the journey has come and how much more lies ahead for women rebuilding their lives and businesses across Türkiye’s earthquake-affected regions. During the visit we met with women who have faced loss, uncertainty, and incredible challenges, yet continue to rebuild their dreams with strength and determination.
One of them was Hacer Sönmez, a Turkish designer whose story began with a single handmade bag. What started as a hobby became her path to independence. With support from the project, she formally registered her business, joined mentorship and training sessions that supported her to apply for a grant that helped her buy new sewing machines to expand her production. Through our networking events, Hacer has connected with new customers and suppliers, strengthening her visibility in the market. She’s now focused on improving her online presence and sees digital tools and upcoming business fairs as key opportunities to reach more buyers and grow further.
We also met Zahraa Omar, a Syrian entrepreneur whose love for plants became her way of healing after the earthquakes. When everything she had was lost, she rebuilt her small nursery from the ground up. Through mentorship and training, Zahraa learned to manage her finances more effectively, reduce unnecessary costs, and increase her profits. On the day we visited, she received her formal registration certificate, giving new life to her nursery, October Flower. “It’s named after my birth month,” she said with a smile, “and because October is the month of new blooms. For me, it means new beginnings.” As she looks ahead, Zahraa dreams of expanding her business, strengthening her digital presence, and exporting to new markets.
The day ended with a visit to Gaziantep Şahinbey Municipality, one of our key partners in Gaziantep. Our collaboration with them, including the Women’s Day Business Festival held during the project’s first year, which connected more than 110 women entrepreneurs with new customers, shows what can happen when institutions and communities come together. In the next phase of the project, we aim to build on this partnership to organize more fairs in Gaziantep and other project cities, in collaboration with local municipalities and chambers of commerce, creating more spaces for Syrian and Turkish entrepreneurs to meet, learn, and grow side by side.
Behind every business, there’s a story of strength, and behind every story, there’s a person determined to rise again. Days like this remind us that recovery is not just about rebuilding livelihoods, it’s about rebuilding hope.
This project is being implemented with the generous support of Islamic Relief USA. Any views expressed herein are solely those of Building Markets.