Mohammed

Entrepreneur

As a refugee in Gaza, Mohammed faced one obstacle after the next in his search for a job. His story is the story of many young people in Gaza. In 2021, the unemployment rate for graduates like him was shockingly high at 74%. "I had to find a way to become financially secure to support myself and contribute to my brother’s education" For Mohammed and recent graduates like him, it's hard to maintain hope and determination amidst such a bleak employment landscape. Even with no opportunities in sight, Mohammed was not deterred. He decided that the best way to capitalize on his hard-earned engineering degree was to create his own opportunity. "I wanted to find a way to use my engineering background to address some of the local challenges affecting my community." Driven by the desire to succeed, and make a difference in his community, Mohamed began to explore innovative solutions to address Gaza's growing construction resource scarcity crisis. Without any business background, he knew he needed support to bring his idea to life. Mohammed learned about EFE from friends and immediately signed up for entrepreneurship training. Through EFE’s training, Mohammed learned how to develop a business plan, budget for his launch, and create a marketing strategy. He also accessed a grant that put Eco Stones into production. Today, Eco Stones is a viable business providing, lower price, high-quality cladding stones made from locally available materials that utilize solid waste. "I am proud to say that Eco Stones is now a reality and providing Palestinians across Gaza with access to sustainably sourced artificial stones. I aim to continue to grow Eco Stones and share my success by providing employment opportunities to other struggling graduates."