"Thanks to USAID, my thinking totally changed and my skills were developed in marketing. I learned how to keep my money safe and how to progress in small projects and gain skills that enable me to identify challenges,” said Aisha Zakaria Tahir, Barkla village, Darfur
Women with disabilities are confronted by multiple challenges, but with support from USAID, Aisha increased her skills, expanded her business, and sent her eight children to school.
Aisha Zakaria Tahir, 47, a disabled mother taking care of eight children in North Darfur, Sudan, manages a small tea-selling business that was generating a daily income of 1,000 Sudanese pounds (approximately $2.25), which was not sufficient for her children’s education. Her top priority was to increase her income so she could afford to send her children to school.
“I was displaced from Barkla village in 2004, a mother of eight children and breadwinner of my family since 2012. After the death of my husband, I started to protect and provide food for my family, while living with my diabetes illness that resulted in the amputation of my leg,” Aisha said.
“I face extreme social and financial challenges due to lack of skills and my current disability. I failed to find a job, so then I decided to work as a beggar with my children in the Kutum market to cover daily expenses. After time passed, I left the begging business and started to work as a tea maker but due to my limited budget, my income wasn’t sufficient to have my children go to school,” Aisha said.
To improve well-being among families headed by internally displaced women and girls in North Darfur, USAID selected 30 women and girls to support with quick-impact projects to improve their food security and help them send their children to school.
"Thanks to USAID, my thinking totally changed and my skills were developed in marketing. I learned how to keep my money safe and how to progress in small projects and gain skills that enable me to identify challenges,” Aisha said.
Support for Aisha included a grant of 8,800 Sudanese pounds (approximately $20), which enabled her to expand her business and send her children to school. Her goal now is to continue supporting her children's education until they reach university.
DT Global