Since the war in Yemen started five years ago, life has become much more complicated for Tahani and her family. They were dependent on the income her husband used to receive from working for a company, but as so many companies shut down because of the collapse of the economy and currency, they found themselves without income.
Tahani, a 46-year-old woman from Aden, says: “I was constantly worried, crying at night. I felt like I had failed to provide a decent life for my children.”
Despite conflict and hardship Tahani doing her best to cope with the situation. Before the war, she and her husband thought about starting up a restaurant. They gathered some money together by selling Tahani’s jewellery and borrowing from relatives. Sadly, due to the continuous violence, their restaurant project failed. It was a financial disaster for the family.
Fortunately for Tahani, a year later she was invited to take part in a CARE project focused on women’s economic empowerment. The project is funded by the H&M Foundation, and aims to support women to become economically empowered by providing them with training in business skills and management, as well as small loans.