Suheir Mashaqi

Connecting Women to Markets

Her determination and persistence was the key to her business success: The Story of Suheir Mashaqi

Suheir Mashaqi is 35-year-old woman living in the village of Yaseed in Nablus governorate. Suheir has four sons and one daughter. She has struggled to make ends meet since her husband lost his job a few years ago; she then started thinking of establishing her own business in making homemade food as her neighbours and friends described her food, especially makdous as “very delicious”.  Suheir felt excited when she saw the post of the Farmers Market on Asala’s Facebook Page and applied immediately to participate. She was extremely thrilled when she received a phone call informing her that she was accepted to participate, she described it as “it was the best day of my life”.

Suhier was able to expand her business and maximize her business profit through participating the “Farmers Market” under APHEDA’s intervention. Suheir indicated that market exhibitions and fairs are important to enable women producers to make money and reap the results of their hard work. The market has helped Suheir to network and communicate with visitors and potential customers in order to promote her work.

Suheir also added that throughout her business venture, she encountered several challenges to get her business off the ground, she used to go out and visit the supermarkets convincing them to purchase her products, but it was of a little success. Suheir has never participated before in any markets/bazaars, therefore her participation in the market was a new opportunity and a different experience. The market was a platform to promote and market her business on a different level as it enabled her to reach a large number of people without making the efforts to go out on her own and visit clients/supermarket owners.

“It is the first time in my life participating in a market/bazaar, it was something different to what I used to do, people were approaching and visiting my table asking about my products and some have purchased them, instead of me going out and reaching out to them”

The market provided Suheir the opportunity for people to taste and try out her products, which has helped her to increase sales, as she trusts that her products were “good enough” for many people to purchase after trying them.

“When I was going to supermarkets to sell my products, I used to feel frustrated; sometimes I go out all day and only sell a few jars of makdous. The market gave me the opportunity to increase the number of my customers as people were visiting  my table and trying my products which they liked, without making much of an effort to reach out to them”

Through the market, Suheir made a total of 2300 NIS from selling her Makdous products during the market.  The majority of people who visited her stall expressed their satisfaction of her products, while some contacted her after the market to make orders. Suheir made sales worth of around 500 NIS from people who contacted her after the market. One of the most profit-making opportunities Suheir has managed to make during the market, is networking with Al-Hana factory (located in Nablus) and creating a marketing channel for her business. Al-Hana factory made an agreement with Suheir to purchase her Makdous on a regular basis creating an income-generating opportunity for her and her business. Suheir started supplying the factory with one kilo of Makdous every week in the beginning of 2021.

In addition, Suheir created her Facebook Page as a result of the market; she realized the importance of marketing her products online as visitors were asking her why she doesn’t have a Facebook page so they can contact her and order her products.

“When people tried my products on the first day of the market, they were asking why I don’t have a Facebook page, so they can contact me. Then I created the page on August 24, after my first day of the market”

Suheir is the sole breadwinner of her family. However, during COVID-19 pandemic, it was quite difficult for her to make sales as the crisis hit hard her business resulting in a sharp decline in her sales. The market was an immense help for Suheir to make income during this tough period.

“The market was the only source of income during the pandemic for my family; I made enough sales to provide my family with their basic needs”.

Moreover, Suheir’s participation in the Farmers Market under APHEDA’s intervention has boosted her confidence, given that she was able to communicate with a large group of visitors and participating in a market exhibition for the first time in her life. Suheir elaborated that the market was a different experience, which has empowered her to take on a new opportunity.

“The market increased my confidence, I felt different and motivated, and it was a unique and new experience”.

Despite Suheir’s growing success and determination to grow, she encountered social challenges during her business journey as a woman entrepreneur. Suheir described that her uncle and her brother were against her starting a business, and told her “you’re a woman and you shouldn’t go out and sell products, your husband must do all this work”. Her uncle also offered to pay her a monthly salary if she agrees not to continue her business. Suheir added that the male dominated society can’t deter her persistence and determination to continue growing her business even further, because she believes that she can depend on herself to support herself and her family. However, her uncle and brother’s perspectives changed over time when they saw her business succeeding, her uncle said he was “proud of her” when he watched her interview, which was aired on Nisaa FM radio, which Asala conducts for her associate members.

On a household level, Suheir realized the change in the attitudes and behaviors of her family members after starting her business. The stereotypical role of ‘the sole caregiver’ began to shift gradually after she started working on her business. Suheir pointed out that her sons were more willing to share the household responsibilities with her since not all of her time is dedicated to doing housework. For example, Suheir’s sons learned learned to do some household chores such as cleaning, washing the dishes, and cooking. They also helped her doing some of the housework when she was out of the house participating in the Farmers Market. Her husband also helpd her with her business work, such as purchasing raw materials.

Suheir concluded that working gives her a great boost of motivation, peace of mind, inner satisfaction and positive energy. The idea of making her own sales and income also prompts her to continue her journey of being financially independent and economically empowered. Suheir aspires to continue pursuing her ambitions of being a successful and thriving businesswoman.

“My work means rest for me, it also makes me happy, I work when I need motivation, I work to make my own money and to be an independent woman”