“Once I made my decision
I was at peace with myself regardless of the financial implications. My message
was in the act of truly giving.
I wanted to convey to her that she is a part of the
supportive business
environment - just like the feeling I received from Supportive Community”.
A few years ago Marina began dreaming of establishing her own business. As an new immigrant (Ola Hadasha) from the FSU, Marina experienced difficulties in assimilating into Israeli society and also found it difficult to support herself financially. She realized that in order to create a better life for herself she needed to take action and employ herself. Marina joined Supportive Community to help her realize her business idea – a kindergarten.
“The knowledge and tools I received from Supportive Community made it possible for me to have a business of my own. It was not easy, the road was long and I had a lot to learn, but I feel that in Supportive Community I was listened to, and thanks to the professional support I received from them, I managed to establish my own kindergarten, hire help and grow. I began making money” said Marina. “Today", she says with a big smile," I am in a position in which I can afford to study alternative medicine, a subject in which I was interested for a long time. Now that I know I can succeed, something that I was told again and again in the Supportive Community, I am in the process of establishing a new business in this field”.
Within the “women empower women” program, Marina chose to mentor Azina, a new immigrant from Ethiopia. Marina chose to help Azina establish her own kindergarten and become successful. It was important for her to share her experience and knowledge and to create a supportive business environment.
During their meetings Marina - who identified strongly with Azina’s situation and remembered how she had found herself without any resources, decided to donate all her kindergarten equipment to Azina, instead of selling it.
“It was a decision which I had thought about for a long time. I knew I would help Azina but did not know how. Once I made my decision I was at peace with myself regardless of the financial implications. My message was in the act of truly giving. I wanted to convey to her that she is a part of the supportive business environment - just like the feeling I received from Supportive Community”, Marina said.
*Azina standing third on the right in the Graduation Ceremony of the Business Management Course.
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