Um Batta – Embroidering her Dream
Um Batta’s sister in law is a long-time client of Al-Tadamun’s microfinance program.  Through the experiences of her sister-in-law, Um Batta witnessed how the micro-loans provided by Al-Tadamun were critical to helping the embroidery   business of her sister-in-law grow.

Inspired, Um Batta founded her own embroidery business two years ago, with the help and guidance of her sister in law.  Um Batta first purchased clothes on credit; after she added hand-stitched embroidery, she was able to sell the clothes to relatives and neighbors for a healthy profit.

Um Batta’s skills and the high quality of her work quickly earned her a good reputation within the area and soon she was hired as an independent contractor for a wedding-dress factory. She takes a dress or two every week, embroiders them and gives them back to the factory.  Brides-to-be in the area started knocking on her door for her embroidery work on their dresses.

Um Batta’s dream is to open her own embroidery and complete tailoring store, with a few employees, where she can do the whole job from scratch, sew the dress and embroider it.