Pilot project in Madaba to support sustainable home-based businesses

AMMAN — Blumont, an NGO that works for the benefit of refugees and host populations, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) recently signed an agreement to promote the sustainable economic growth of home-based businesses led by youth and women in Madaba, according to a statement from the organisation.

In this pilot project, funded through the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), Blumont will support a self-sustaining business hub embedded within the local community in Madaba by partnering with Kawon, a local book store and cafe. 

The business hub will help local home-based businesses access skills development opportunities, markets to sell their products and services, and micro-finance facilities to support the growth of their businesses.

Under the agreement, Blumont will produce a comprehensive case study that will highlight the findings of the pilot project and share it with the wider development cooperation partners and members of the Livelihoods Working Group. The document will serve as a guiding document for setting up this model.

Caroline Haddad, Blumont Jordan country director, said: “Home-based businesses are the backbone of the Jordanian economy as they contribute to employment, entrepreneurship and sustainable livelihoods.”

Blumont will build the capacity of Kawon staff to provide coaching and skills development support for local home-based businesses. 

Kawon will then provide home based businesses’ with training sessions covering a number of areas, including management, marketing, finance and business skills to facilitate their entry into the formal economy and link them to new markets, the statement said. 

Blumont is a global organisation that works in concert with local communities to design and implement innovative approaches to build infrastructure, deliver lifesaving humanitarian assistance, and foster opportunities for long- term stability and economic development, according to the statement.