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Women Empowerment
Hasmik welcomed us to her mother's house in Sevan, Armenia, where she had arranged her atelier studio. In a neatly set vintage interior, she organized everything perfectly: the fabric and sewing materials, the sewing machines, and the ready products lay in the original paper bags, each decorated with care; everything had its own place.
After her husband returned from the war disabled, Hasmik realized she couldn't sit by idly. She needed to do something herself.
Having two small children to care for, Hasmik initially tried to find a job as a teacher because she had a degree in education, but her continuous search was in vain.
She learned about the "Women's Empowerment Program" run by the Armenian Fund for Sustainable Development and decided to apply for support.
She participated in capacity-building courses on entrepreneurial skills and, after thorough reflection, submitted her project to open a sewing micro-business. Everyone around her, even her family, was skeptical about the positive outcome of her application. But she was optimistic, and she had a pay-off.
Several days after the funding commission, when she demonstrated her motivation and the necessity of opening this business, she got a call. She was told that her proposal had been approved. She felt happy not only because of the possibility of a stable income to support her family but also because she could do something she genuinely enjoyed.
When we visited her and saw the orders, we understood that Hasmik's atelier was already well-known in the neighborhood. She explained that her main orders were bedding, kitchen towels, kids' blankets, napkins, and aprons.
Hasmik is a beneficiary of the AF4SD “Vulnerable Women Empowerment” program.
The Arev Society provides management support to the AF4SD “Vulnerable Women Economic Empowerment in Armenia” program.