Young female entrepreneur strives to transform the medical sector in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq

Nasreen Hassan - Iraq

Article | 25 November 2021
Nasreen Hassan is a 25-year-old IT graduate who has been working for years on a business idea to help hospitals and medical centers in the Iraq Kurdistan Region to improve and maintain their medical equipment. She recently joined the ILO’s SIYB training program in Iraq with the objective of acquiring essential knowledge and tools to set up her business. The training is part of the efforts being implemented by the ILO under PROSPECTS, supported by the Government of the Netherlands, and targeting young refugees, internally displaced people and vulnerable host community members who are interested in setting up their own business or improving an existing one.

Nasreen joined a six-day intensive training in Dohuk in July 2021. The training centered on nine courses designed to enhance the readiness to start a business, prepare a business plan and evaluate its viability. It allowed Nasreen to develop and refine her own business plan. She is now doing her market research to verify the feasibility of implementing the business plan and identify the suppliers, potential clients, etc.

More recently, Nasreen took part in the ILO’s financial education training with the objective of enhancing her financial knowledge and skills to better manage the business. Once ready with her plan, Nasreen will be referred by ILO to access affordable financial services provided through ILO’s agreement with the Central bank of Iraq.

UFrom the first day of the training with the ILO, I have been working on my business plan, one step at a time. I have been revising it and adding new ideas on the way, because the more we moved forward with the training, the more our ideas expanded, reflecting the reality more and more.” Nasreen thinks that with the technical know-how and the financial support, she will soon reach a stage of establishing the business. And she concludes: "I would like to say to other young people in my position that they should also pursue their goals, whether in terms of studying or employment. Don’t let anything get in your way."

Nasreen

Nasreen Hassan participating in ILO’s Start Your Business training in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Her dream is to advance medical engineering in the country and change lives.