Zaineb, a 31-year-old from Anbar, Falluja, has been an avid photographer for six years, shooting sessions for weddings and other occasions. More than a for-profit activity, photography has been her passion since childhood, and she believes that every photo tells a story. 

Zaineb started her career with enthusiasm and a desire to prove herself with modest means. 

“I used my photography skills to provide for myself and use some of the income to help people in need. This period had the most impact on my life. Working with photography gave me the chance to create a balance between achieving personal goals and contributing to society. As time passed, I became more professional, developed my techniques, and gained new experiences, which gave me a good reason to continue this career.”

Zaineb attended a training session on how to use available services for business transactions (such as receiving ‎payments ‎from customers, making payments to suppliers and employees, for costs ‎of ‎utilities and bills, and even accessing credit) and on how to increase productivity and revenue by using digital financial ‎services, linkages ‎with business plans and business financial parameters. She always sought development in different fields and participated in many capacity-building sessions to improve her general knowledge. 

 “I’m really grateful for the opportunity provided by Near East Foundation to participate in what I think is a great training concerning financial literacy. I learned more about e-payments and e-transactions and how they positively impact business owners seeking development. I have started using E-payments with my work, and it’s safer and easier than cash payments.” 

She added, “I hope we can see more people using E-payments with their business in the near future. It makes life easier and pushes towards modernity.” 

Near East Foundation’s latest project in Iraq, Financial Literacy Support for MSMEs, was funded by the German Government and implemented by GIZ Iraq in partnership with NEF. It provided training to 1,900 entrepreneurs in the Basra and Anbar governorates, with 80% of participants being women.