Start and Improve Your Business - Success Stories 2025
From displacement to growth: Bashir builds a formal business in Egypt
Bashir Ezz el Deen, a Syrian refugee entrepreneur in Egypt, formalized and expanded his homeware business after completing SIYB training, enabling him to improve accounting practices and grow his enterprise with confidence.
15 January 2026
Alexandria, Egypt (ILO News) - For Bashir Ezz el Deen, a 53-year-old Syrian refugee, entrepreneurship became a way to rebuild stability after displacement. Forced to flee his homeland, Bashir arrived in Egypt in 2016 with his family, facing uncertainty but determined to create a future through hard work.
Settling in Alexandria Governorate, Bashir partnered with a friend to open a small homeware shop named Zahret el Sham. As the business began to stabilize, he took over the shop independently and started expanding its activities. Despite growing demand, Bashir faced challenges common to many small entrepreneurs, including managing finances, understanding market needs and operating informally, which limited his business’s potential to grow.
His journey took a decisive turn when he learned about entrepreneurship training offered through ILO PROSPECTS, implemented by Caritas Egypt. Bashir applied for and completed the Start and Improve Your Business (SIYB) training, where he strengthened his skills in business management, accounting and customer-focused planning.
The training also highlighted the importance of formalization as a pathway to sustainable growth. Bashir began taking concrete steps to register his enterprise and eventually obtained a commercial register and tax card, allowing him to operate formally and confidently.
Reflecting on the experience, Bashir says:
The SIYB training helped me improve my project’s accounting, and I learned that I need to take the step of obtaining a commercial register and a tax card to formalize my business status. I also learned that even if I am working alone without a partner, I must record everything regularly.
Bashir Ezz el Deen
Today, Bashir continues to expand ‘Zahret el Sham’ without the constraints of informality. His story shows how targeted SIYB training can help refugee entrepreneurs strengthen their businesses, overcome barriers to growth and build sustainable livelihoods in host communities.