In a country burdened by wars and conflicts, Nujood has found herself besieged at Al-Rashidi IDP Camp in Ibb Governorate, far away from her original place of residence in Taiz Governorate.
Nujood has faced many difficulties and challenges during her journey towards success. One of the key challenges that Nujood has faced was the financial difficulties due to displacement.
A new situation that caused suffering for Nujoud and her family, who found themselves in financial distress as a result of displacement, which forced her to work as a cleaner in some government offices, with her daughter Ahlam at her side, in order to cover their expenses to ensure the minimum necessary needs for the family. However, the very low wages and the lack of financial stability were a big obstacle that hindered her from achieving her ambitions.
In addition to financial challenges, Nujood has also suffered from social discrimination because of her profession as a cleaner. Nujood was subjected to marginalization and low estimates by some persons who have a negative prejudice about people who perform manual work. However, Nujood never gave up, she decided to even work harder in order to achieve a significant improvement in her life.
When the GIZ funded project entitled "Enhancing the Role of Women in the Social Integration of IDPs", implemented by Risers for Relief and Development Foundation, Nujood got the opportunity to improve her skills and to increase her chance to get a better job.
She attended some training courses, most importantly the training entrepreneurial in the accessories industry. Nujood has shown commitment and seriousness to acquire knowledge and master its application.
Due to these training, Nujood has started to realize the fruits of her tremendous efforts. She has launched her own business in the field of accessory making and she named it "Dreams for Accessories". Now Nujood has her own private business that provides her with a sustainable income which is far enough to cover the costs of fulfilling the needs of her family as well as to have a life of dignity far from marginalization.
Nujood started to design and produce some unique pieces of accessories that reflect local culture and heritage. She started marketing her products in local markets as well as online.
Nujood, in her own words, seeks to positively influence her community. She wants to expand her business and to be able to recruit some people and make some work opportunities for other women at the IDP Camp, and thus to contribute to building up a strong and sustainable economy in the region, strengthening the role of women in the community.
In fact, Nujood is a role model for other women as she has shown strong commitment to training, hard work and a strong sense of patience.
Nujood has expressed her happiness and highest levels of gratitude to GIZ and Risers for giving her such a valuable opportunity.
The story of Nujood reflects the power and capacity of women to make a change under really challenging conditions. Nujood has successfully managed to completely change her and her family's life for the better and she has become a symbol of hope and willingness to face and overcome difficulties.