Her name is Rim, and she’s from Raqqa City, Syria. Once an English teacher in her hometown, she now lives in Mersin, Turkey and manages her own company in agricultural trade. “It is difficult to be a woman in this sector, the agriculture products and seeds trading. But step by step, they got used to seeing a woman, a Syrian woman in this business” she says.

Graduated from English literature department of Raqqa University, she moved to Turkey with her mother and sister in 2016 due to the escalating civil war in Syria. “I had difficulties in the beginning because it was a new country for me, everything was foreign to me; language, habits, culture. Everything was new. But I have overcome” she says, with a proud but gentile gesture.

When she moved to Turkey, she first worked for international humanitarian organizations in southeastern provinces bordering Syria. Then, she recognized that she could do more and moved to trading business. “2 years ago, I was working as a trading agent between Turkish and Iraqi markets. I was dealing with agricultural products and seeds. Sometimes I had orders for Syria.” Back in the days when she was teaching English in Syria, she was already involved in small scale trading business in her hometown. “I was the first and only woman in Raqqa, who was in trading business” she adds. She is not only managing a business, but also responsible for her entire family. 

Rim officially started her own company eight months ago with the name, Rojan Agriculture. She is now an important local player in agricultural products and seeds trading business between Turkey, Iraq and Syria markets. “My main market was Iraqi market. Then I entered in Syrian market. All my suppliers are Turkish. I make deals with traders from Mardin, Adana and Gaziantep. I always look for the biggest dealers, I make visits to my customers. All my goods, and products, I buy them from Turkey. I can buy everything I want from them” she confidently expresses. “I understand Turkish language very well, but sometimes I have difficulties in talking, particularly in negotiating” she adds, with her fluent English. And despite being humble, she also speaks very well Turkish.

“Eight months ago, I heard about a UNDP project that supports establishing companies for Syrian refugees. The project was on entrepreneurship support. I called them and told them that I wanted to establish a company. They responded very fast and helped me a lot. They helped me to get the work permit. They helped me in setting up the company in just two weeks. They helped me in consultancy on a lot of subjects, business plan, marketing, accounting, human resources management”.

“I have had challenges; I have had difficulties of course. I go to a meeting and all of them are men, I am the only woman. Sometimes I found support from male merchants. And sometimes they were ignoring me as a woman, as a Syrian woman working in this sector.” she adds and continues, “But step by step, week by week, month by month, they got used to seeing a woman, a Syrian woman in this sector. Now all my suppliers are also my friends”.

Among consultancy services provided by the project, she made use of the online marketing courses the most, where she also had the chance to meet with other Syrian women entrepreneurs, from all around Turkey. They were also trying to do business like her.

“It is really stunning to see other Syrian women succeeding in business life here in Turkey. I am most proud of them. I encourage every woman to work, to be strong, always. Because if you are strong and independent, it makes you stronger and stronger, and you need no one. You can stand alone.”   

Yes, she is strong. But she doesn’t stand alone.