Nadera Abdul Latif, a 42-year-old entrepreneur who founded a small, artisanal soap-making company from her home in Jerash, Jordan, almost never went into business at all. Not because her home-made olive oil soaps weren’t popular—but because they were.
Abdul Latif started crafting her soaps with 500 Jordanian dinars (around $700) of her own, selling to neighbors and local residents. Business at Hadrian, as she named her company, was brisk from the start. But when she wanted to expand Hadrian she learned that a bank loan would require collateral. This mother of five, who also works as a general health technician, could offer nothing.
So Tamweelcom, one of the largest microfinance companies in the country, lent Abdul Latif the equivalent of $1,400, and later another loan of around $2,500. She used the funds to purchase glycerin, essential oils, and herbs—improving her soaps further—and demand grew. In 2017, Abdul Latif was awarded the Citi Bank for Small Business Award, which helped her procure a business license, establish a workshop, and promote her products more widely. All seven of her employees are women.
“I try to give women a chance to work and make money as I believe that women should support each other and work hard to enhance their life, exactly like me,” she says.
Microfinance loans are essential to help entrepreneurs in Jordan reduce vulnerability, increase their incomes, and improve their living conditions. IFC has been working with Tamweelcom since 2010 and last year we provided it with a $10 million loan in local currency so it could increase outreach to small business owners, including women like Abdul Latif.
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