Hikmat Ghaith, 37, from Al-Hara Al-Tahta in Hebron, is a mother of six and a woman with visual and physical difficulties. In 2024, the Community-Based Rehabilitation (CBR) worker registered Hikmat and assessed her needs. Based on the assessment findings, she was referred to the Economic Empowerment Unit within the Community-Based Rehabilitation (CBR) Program.
Hikmat’s journey began with vocational assessment. Drawing on her previous experience in preparing sweets and her desire to strengthen her skills, she was referred to a specialized vocational center where she received training in sweets and pastry making. She also participated in a micro-enterprise management training course developed by the Economic Empowerment Unit of the CBR Program, preparing her to manage her own business.
After completing the training and confirming her readiness, the CBR Program provided her with the equipment, tools, raw materials, and operational supplies needed to start her business. Hikmat used a family-owned space and transformed it into a shop for producing and selling sweets.
The support did not end with the establishment of the business. The CBR Program has continued to provide technical support, follow-up, field visits, and ongoing communication to monitor the progress of the business and identify its needs. Based on this continued follow-up, Hikmat was provided with a display refrigerator for sweets in early 2026 to support the continued operation and development of her business.
As her business grew, Hikmat expanded her products to include traditional Palestinian foods, as well as cheese and dairy products. She now employs one woman on a regular basis and works with around 15 women on an as-needed basis, involving them during periods of increased workload and providing them with income-generating opportunities.
Today, Hikmat aspires to further expand and develop her business, with the aim of creating more employment opportunities for women in her community.
Hikmat’s story demonstrates how continued support can transform a skill into an income-generating business, extending the impact of economic empowerment beyond the entrepreneur herself to create opportunities for other women in the community.
