Workforce Development Supports Yemeni Enterprise Success
“Each worker used to produce two to three pieces a day. After their training with USAID, the number increased to ten pieces a day!”— Fayza Salim Nany, Owner, Al Ghad Sewing & Embroidery
Fayza Salim Nany was only 12 years old when she obtained her first sewing machine. She was mesmerized and carefully studied all the mechanisms to be able to repair it herself, without asking anyone else for help. Today, as a 48-year-old mother of three, Mrs. Nany still retains the same spirit of determination she had as a child and defines herself as a self-made woman.
Mrs. Nany runs a company called Al Ghad Sewing and Embroidery in Mukalla, Yemen. But, as is the case for many other small and medium-sized businesses in Yemen, running and maintaining a successful company has been a hard-fought challenge. Mrs. Nany worked on her own for years, creating clothing for children and women featuring refined embroidery and designs. She established a firm base of clients and suppliers, but also maintained a commitment to helping other women to make a living through sewing and garment production.
In 2013, she formed an association of women seamstresses, specifically targeting those with hearing and speech impairments. The group quickly grew to include 19 female workers, as word of the opportunity spread.
“I paid their salaries out of the money we made, took a sign language course to communicate with them, and even rented a bus to get them to and from the workshop,” she says. When war struck in 2015, however, working conditions became too dangerous and they ceased operation. The workshop was looted, and it took five years for Mrs. Nany to find a way to rebuild.
When Mrs. Nany launched Al Ghad Sewing and Embroidery in 2020, her new company was nearly derailed before it could start due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ultimately, she found a way to shift gears and meet the specifications for becoming an official producer of personal protective equipment and face masks, which were suddenly in high demand, in addition to school and work uniforms.
However, her company struggled to fill large orders due to a lack of skilled workers and low production volume.
“Most of my workers did not have the level of skills I needed, but I did not have the time to teach them, as my focus is on sales, marketing, and networking,” Mrs. Nany said.
So she turned to the USAID Economic Recovery and Livelihoods Program (ERLP) to train four existing employees and eight potential new hires.
“The change was tremendous,” Mrs. Nany said, noting that each worker went from producing just two or three pieces a day to completing 10 per day. Whereas the company had struggled to fill orders from its two contracts before the USAID training, afterwards it was able to take on three more contracts and hire all eight of the new trainees.
“Our revenues have risen by 60 percent,” over a period of about 10 months, Mrs. Nany said, “which we have been able to pass on to our employees as increased salary and incentives.”
Mrs. Nany participated in the JO Fashion Expo in Amman, Jordan in February 2022, which drew buyers and investors from Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Syria, Jordan, and the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council. The international exposure was a breakthrough opportunity for Mrs. Nany, who would like to diversify and expand into foreign markets.
Mrs. Nany hopes the example and experience of her company’s successes will convince more women to hone their skills and join the workforce. “I always encourage women to start their own business,” she says. “I tell them, ‘If you have the money, start your own project! Contribute to our country’s economic revival.’”
Al Ghad Sewing and Embroidery is just one example of growth-oriented companies across the garment, healthcare, food production, and fish processing sectors supported by USAID through workforce development programs to help employers hire skilled workers. USAID funds onsite pre-employment training and helps vocational education institutions to align curriculum with employer demands. Through these efforts, USAID helped 1,200 Yemenis get stable jobs in Fiscal Year 2021.
USAID’s ERLP addresses critical economic stabilization challenges in Yemen. At the macroeconomic level, it works with public and private institutions to restore economic stability, enhance fiscal management, and increase international trade flows. At the microeconomic level, ERLP strengthens agricultural, fisheries, and private sector performance and competitiveness—creating jobs, raising incomes, and improving livelihoods.
ERLP
