EBÎR MUHEMED

Qamishlo- 38-year-old Ethra Bihnan is a woman with physical disabilities living in Qamishlo, a city in North and East Syria. She opened her own shop nine years ago to sell decorative objects designed by her for parties.

She designed by using materials at home

Since her childhood, Ethra Bihnan has been interested in design. “I designed objects by using materials at home. 10 years ago, I started making candles to support individuals with special needs. This project boosted my self-confidence and encouraged me to design decorative objects for parties and open a shop to sell them,” she told NuJINHA while talking about her success story.

Her family supports her

Ethra Bihnan faced many challenges in her journey. “Unfortunately, there was no interest in my decorative objects because they were not popular. But I did not give up because the most important thing for me was to show off my skills and products. My health was also very bad; I became confident and able to work after receiving treatment. I still have problems doing everything alone. My family always provides psychological and physical support to me.”

‘Women should use every opportunity’

Ethra Bihnan thinks that people should always be positive. “Even if we have special needs, we have skills and can achieve our goals. Unfortunately, people with special needs are isolated in society. Financial support is very important for people with special needs to realize their dreams. I call on all women to be creative because women are naturally talented. They should use every opportunity to realize their dreams. Women with disabilities should not isolate themselves but make efforts to realize their dreams.”