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Printing shop tackles daily hassles of students, refugees
By Camille Dupire - Oct 31,2018 - Last updated at Oct 31,2018
Osama Tawalbeh is seen in his stationery shop in Shouna recently (Photo courtesy of USAID LENS )
AMMAN — Far from the hustle and bustle of Amman, the small town of Shouna, in northern Jordan, is home to a huge community of students, who perform a daily commute to the two major universities in Irbid, 25km away.
Like many rural communities across the Kingdom, Shouna was until recently direly underserved in terms of services and the availability of certain commodities.
“The closest bookshop to this town is in Irbid’s city centre, which is at least one hour drive from here. If students needed to print or buy something for school or university, and didn’t manage to go there and come back before sunset, they had to pay for a private car, which is costly, or had to spend the night in Irbid because there is no public transportation available after that time,” remembered Osama Tawalbeh, owner of a small bookshop in Shouna.
A long-time resident of Shouna with a love for electronics, Tawalbeh said he decided to open a small stationary shop “to serve the growing student community as well as anyone who needs printing services, stationary, and other services unavailable in Shoula”.
“I have always been fascinated with computers. I remember how there was only one computer available for the entire class when I was in school, and how I would anxiously wait for my turn to use it,” he highlighted, sitting behind his desk.
For residents of Shouna, which is considered on the lower-end of the income spectrum, access to a computer is still very scarce, and many people use public internet cafes or bookshops to send e-mails and download files.
So, when Tawalbeh’s shop opened, the demand was very high, with students and professionals flocking to the small shop to use the printer and other services.
“It’s such a relief to have this kind of shop near your house, especially around the exams period which is stressful enough without the daily commute to and from Irbid,” said Nour, a university student living in Shouna, adding that “the bookshop has given Shoula a much-needed lift, and brought new life to the area”.
One year after the shop opening, Tawalbeh realised he needed further support to cater to the needs of his many clients, which also now include Syrian refugees who frequently need to send and print papers to finish their transactions.
He approached the USAID Jordan Local Enterprise Support Project (LENS) for support, aiming to purchase new printers and devices to serve a bigger segment of the local community, he recounted.
Launched to encourage the long-term economic growth and development potential of marginalised Jordanian communities through supporting small and micro enterprises across Jordan, the five-year USAID LENS project has supported large numbers of small and micro businesses across Jordan, providing them with in-kind and technical support to help them start up and grow, according to its website.
“Small businesses often reflect the character of a neighbourhood or a community. The relationships created between customers and those that work in independent business frequently go beyond just purchases,” a USAID LENS statement highlighted.
With the grant, Tawalbeh was able to purchase new machines, and rent a bigger space, eventually allowing him to hire two new employees. He has also witnessed a JD200 monthly increase in revenues since receiving the grant.
For now, the shop owner beams with pride and happiness to see his business help struggling students, and he plans to expand into a fully-operational printing business “which will boost Shouna’s economy and ease the financial burden other local business owners must bear for basic printing services”.
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