Rare plant find is seed for new firm
Mountain discovery of species gives Emirati idea for nursery business that Fujairah fund helps bring to fruition
FUJAIRAH // Mariam Al Hamoudi never thought her love of the outdoors would one day turn into a career that provided for her family and helped to protect the environment.
The 38-year-old Emirati would often spend her spare time exploring the Hajjar Mountains close to her home in the east. It was during one such outing with her husband, an agricultural engineer, that she found a rare plant called Al Jaljah.
“It was used by our ancestors for tanning leather. The shape of the plant caught my attention, and since that day I began to develop an interest in finding more about desert and mountain plants.”
This interest blossomed into a business idea and, with the help of the Fujairah Welfare Association (FWA), Ms Al Hamoudi was able to set up her nursery to grow and sell rare plants.
“I suggested the idea and they were so excited and supportive,” said the mother of six. “They helped me financially, provided the required nursery soil and contributed to making my dream come true.
“My main goal is to preserve endangered wild plants and to reintroduce them to the community to be used for decorative purposes, instead of using other plants that need extra care and use more water.
“This project will also help me in supporting my family financially.”
During the past 12 years, the FWA has helped about 3,000 low-income Emirati families set up and run their own businesses, supporting them in their dreams of becoming self-reliant and independent. The FWA has provided vocational training for 428 Emirati women at a centre that opened in 2013.
“We provide different types of training that would benefit Emirati women and develop new skills that would help in increasing incomes, such as sewing and designing, professional cooking, handcrafting and beauty courses,” said Fatima Salem, head of the FWA’s productive families section and manager of the vocational training centre.
“We also provide administrative and business skills courses, and we help them in advertising their products,” said Ms Salem.
Among those to benefit from the FWA’s assistance is Fatima Al Kaabi, a 29-year-old mother who, after signing up for a sewing courses organised by the association, opened her own store making and repairing abayas.
“I had skills in designing dresses and abayas. and I started designing four years ago to help in supporting my family and do the thing I like most,” she said.
Ms Al Kaabi also used her skills to make Eid abayas for Emirati orphans. “I, along with four others, was picked by the associa- tion to participate in designing and preparing 130 abayas for Emirati orphans to wear during Eid. Without the support of the association, I wouldn’t have managed to reach this level of professionalism and be part of this charity work.”
I suggested the idea and they were so excited and supportive
Mariam Al Hamoudi businesswoman