Success Stories

“Gehad Samy Farouk, a 27-year-old woman from Fayoum, works with wicker. She started off selling wicker braids, but she quickly began receiving more encouragement from her family to develop her work. She began working with her family, making bags out of wicker, until she decided she wanted to go out on her own. Her only obstacle was securing the funds she needed to open up her own business. Once she heard about Tanmeyah, she decided to take out an EGP 10,000 loan, which she received immediately to kickstart her independent career. Working hard to expand her business, Gehad went on to take another EGP 12,000 loan as she diversified her bag business and explored new designs. Her aspirations are to continue developing her wicker business, making a name for herself and hiring more people so they can profit as well. Gehad is confident that she can continue to work towards her goals, backed by the fulfillment from the sense of ownership and financial independence she has gained from her enterprise.”

“Rasha Ahmed, a 37-year-old woman, has always wanted to pursue a career as a seamstress. Being a mother and caretaker of her children, Rasha was unable to work at a factory and leave her children for long periods of time, so she began working out of her own home. Her at-home project was hindered by her inability to afford new sowing equipment, which led her to apply for funds from Tanmeyah to buy a more modern sowing machine. With the EGP 10,000 loan she was granted, Rasha was able to open a small workshop near her home, therefore staying close to her family while taking in orders from members of her community. She is now almost through paying off her loan, and wants to continue to expand her operation, buying an even newer machine and more fabric. She looks forward to taking out another loan from Tanmeyah in the future to fulfil her dream of growing her business freely, without needing to sacrifice her time with her family.”

“Mohamed Ramadan Tolba, a 32-year-old man with a strong entrepreneurial spirit, has worked on his own since he was six years old. He works with palm tree wood, building crates and pens for customers. Mohamed used to work for hire, but once he decided to take out a loan of EGP 10,000 from Tanmeyah, he was finally able to open up a small workshop of his own and hire two helpers to grow his output. Mohamed has always believed that those who work hard are rewarded in return and he has plans to expand his industrial operation in the future, employing even more people and developing his business further.”

“I went into blacksmithing when I was pursuing a bachelor’s degree in geography after a college friend offered me a job as an assistant at his blacksmith shop. Not long after that I had learned how to manufacture iron. I learned the ins and outs in a month. It’s a difficult job, but I love it because it can take on many forms and has an artistic element to it. Not long after I decided to step out on my own by opening up a small workshop, I slowly expanded and was able to open two more because of the way I service my clients and my fair pricing. I had heard of Tanmeyah through relatives when I needed to buy equipment to expand my business. I’ve taken out two loans with them over the last four years and I intend on continuing to use their services to reach my ultimate goal of opening a factory.”

“The sprig field project has been active for around 50/60 years. Every sector in Egypt relies on sprigs, especially the agriculture sector. When I heard that they opened a Tanmeyah branch in Fayoum and that it hands out loans to microenterprises, I decided to take advantage of these services to bolster my own project. It was a speedy process, once I applied and provided all the necessary documents, I received either the loan the same day or the day after. The first time I applied, I received EGP 8,000 and the second time, EGP 20,000. I still intend on taking out more loans for my project. Through Tanmeyah, I was able to double my output and my dream is to have my own truck to carry and transport my produce.”

Heba began knitting to make crocheted clothing for herself and her family members. Seeing potential, her family began spreading her work through word of mouth and she began to receive orders from their acquaintances and colleagues. After some time, using online marketing, Heba began to grow her business, receiving  commissions for more work, including rugs. Lacking the capital to purchase the material for the rugs, Heba went to Tanmeyah upon her friend’s advice for a loan. She was able to successfully buy in bulk the material, making profit and growing her business and now has future plans to set up a knitting workshop.

Um Amr, a mother of four, has always been passionate about dressmaking. As a young girl, she began making dresses for her dolls, learning the craft at a young age. Despite initial objections from her father, she became the first in her family to complete her education and begin working, first making dresses for her neighbors and acquaintances at home. Following a break, she resumed work when her children were in school, with support from her husband. Rather than work at a factory, she decided that she wanted to open her own shop and for a while did well. Needing more capital for material however, her friend referred her to Tanmeyah. Upon meeting with them and receiving a loan, she was able to grow her business and fulfill her dream of owning her own dressmaking shop.