NAGHAM KARAJEH

Gaza- New ideas and innovations are born in crisis. In 2016, when unemployment was a nightmare for university graduates in Gaza, Nidaa Aita also tried to find a job after graduating from university. “I wanted to find a job that would open the doors of the future for me; however, I could not find one. So I decided to launch my own project,” she told us.

She decided to make sweets at home and sell them online, becoming one of the first women to launch such projects in the northern Gaza Strip. “I knew that it would not be easy but I was determined to realize my dream.”

She helped many women

After working very hard for two years, she decided to help other women to launch their own projects. She taught women how to make food and sell them online and empowered many women economically, giving them the opportunity to achieve their financial independence. “Supporting women made me very happy,” she said.

‘Nothing can stop you’

Nidaa Aita kept achieving successes by participating in various exhibitions, cooking competitions and promoting women’s economic empowerment. She also launched innovative initiatives to sell confectionery supplies. As her initiatives expanded, she held various training courses to teach women how to make cakes, jams, cheese and chocolate. “If you work with passion, nothing can stop you,” said Nidaa Aita, a member of the Palestine Area Chamber of Commerce, the Business Women Forum (BWF) and the Palestinian Food and Agriculture Industries Union.

She found an alternative

Due to the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip, Nidaa Aita faced difficulties in finding raw materials. “I could not remain idly by while seeing the suffering of the displaced people, especially children, who did not have even winter clothes to keep them warm in winter,” Nidaa Aita told NuJINHA. She looked for an alternative to keep the displaced people warm. Then she found an alternative; turning blankets into winter clothes. She launched the “Needle and Thread” project due to the lack of fabrics and raw materials.

However, Nidaa Aita faced many challenges while implementing her project. One of these challenges was the lack of power. “It was very difficult at first because we did not have power. We began to generate power by using the pedals of a bicycle connected by a belt to our sewing machine.” Another challenge faced by her was the high prices of blankets in winter but she never gave up and found a solution; she launched an initiative, offering the displaced people to buy their blankets.

“Now, I see hope in the eyes of the children,” said Nidaa Aita, who believes that women are capable of accomplishing the “impossible”, even in the most difficult conditions.

She supports women

The “Needle and Thread” project provides employment to displaced women and girls now. “Women have an extraordinary ability to overcome all challenges. I only support them to find a way to stand on their own legs. In the midst of every crisis, lies great opportunity. Women earn a small amount of money by sewing clothes from blankets to support their families.”

A message to every woman

The initiative also helps children to stay warm in winter. “The initiative will not stop at providing immediate solutions. It plants hope in the hearts of many people. These are not just clothes made from blankets, but a message to every woman that she can make a difference.”