Duma is a social enterprise that trains and employs refugee women in the art of amigurumi doll making

THE CHALLENGE:

Located along the central Mediterranean refugee route, Egypt has become a country destination for many refugees. It is estimated that 270,000 registered asylum-seekers and refugees from 65 different countries live in Egypt. As many as 84% of refugees live below the national poverty line; with insufficient resources to provide for their families, many feel defeated and hopeless.   

THE ORGANISATION:

Founded in 2018, Duma offers dignified employment for female heads of households through training in Amigurumi, a Japanese crochet doll-making technique. At the beginning Duma employed 11 amigurumi trainers to train 245 refugee and migrant women in producing dolls and doll accessories. This training support led to the sale of 2,500 dolls, enabling each woman to feed their families and improve their livelihoods.    

Duma provides a flexible working environment where the women can work from home or at the workplace. Due to the crochet style not requiring machinery, it makes it relatively easier to both learn and create. Apart from providing different levels of amigurumi training, Duma also provides the women with psychosocial support in career guidance, mental health and other areas.   

ALFANAR’S SUPPORT: LOOKING AHEAD

Alfanar will be providing management support to assist Duma in developing their 3-year transformation plan and ensuring that their M&E and impact measurement system is working efficiently.   

Duma is part of SEMD, a regional project initiated and funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and implemented by GFA Consulting Group and Endeva.   

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