Erin Wilson 
Enaas’ small kitchen is filled with the smell of frying ground meat. We squeeze into her work space, trying to stay out of her way. Space is tight and she is a master at maximizing every surface, every square foot of space. Covered bowls and tins of ingredients are set out around the room.
Enaas is preparing a feast.
Step-by-step she walks us through her way of preparing borek—small savory hand-pies. The filling and pastry are prepared from scratch before rounds of pastry are rolled out, cut into circles, stuffed, sealed closed and then finally baked or fried.
Good borek takes time and care. Most food cooked from scratch takes time and care. Not many people have that kind of time anymore, certainly not on weekdays. That’s where Enaas comes in.
Enaas was displaced from her home by ISIS.
Because of her skills and your investment in her business, she quickly became indispensable in her new community.
Enaas has years of experience catering from home. She supplemented her husband’s income from his government job, and together they built a very nice life together for their family. They owned a beautiful house filled with nice furniture. They enjoyed a large garden.
Enaas flipped through photos on her phone, showing us room-by-room the life she lost. This wasn’t a life handed down by wealthy parents—they worked hard for everything they had. Enaas has never been afraid of working hard to build something beautiful.
Once Enaas and her husband found a safe place far from ISIS and the terror they brought, Enaas picked up the same patterns she’d always known; working hard cooking great homemade food for her family.
She made a connection at a large school near their new home. Teachers and school staff found it difficult to make time to prepare their own lunches, so Enaas offered to deliver the foods they love right to the school. School staff jumped at the offer, and her husband began delivering freshly made meals each day on his bicycle. She started small, offering a few well-loved staples that didn’t require a lot of big equipment.
What she needed to begin, you provided.
She rolled her profits back into her business, strategically buying pieces of equipment that would allow her to expand.. Taking advantage of the space outside on her flat roof, she bought larger gear to cook things like kabob and large rounds of flat bread.
From modest beginnings, Enaas now offers a wide range of cooked-from-scratch items. From bread and traditional lunch, to custom cakes and cookies that teachers order ahead to take home.
Enaas proudly showed us the chest freezer bought with her profits. She pointed out items in her kitchen, all purchased with her profits. She talked about her children’s wants she’s been able to take care of from the money she’s earned from this tiny kitchen.
Enaas made herself indispensable to her community, and in the process built a successful business.
You made it possible for her to turn her skill into a new life away from ISIS, you made it possible for her to build a business that could expand as she was ready, and you made it possible for her to take care of her children in all the ways they needed.
In every sense of the word you empowered Enaas to succeed.
We invite you to empower more displaced women like Enaas, to make a More Beautiful World for them and their families.
