Al-Qarnawi fulfills his dream of opening a cell phone repair shop

Near the Nusseirat market in the middle of the Gaza Strip, Abd Al-Karim is sitting on his wheelchair, facing a wooden desk with many broken cell phones and small pieces of equipment used to repair cell phones.

Al-Qarnawi, 29, has a motor disability. He’s married, holds a degree in applied accounting and attended mobile phone repair courses. He used his accumulated experience over the past years while working in cell phone repair centers and established his own shop for an independent income.

“After I graduated from college, I didn’t find work, I got training in cell phone repair at an institution that supports and develops the capabilities of people with disabilities. Later, I tried to work in several shops, but I often had a problem because of the lack of a special ramp to allow me to move freely”, he notes.

Al-Qarnawi tried to overcome the difficulties and obstacles that he faced in order to develop his skills. He even began thinking of owning his own shop, which he designed in a more accessible fashion giving his mobility issues. He later came across the social media ad announcing small business grants for people with disabilities.

He applied to join the project launched by the Social Developmental Forum and after a few days, he was contacted for an interview. He was accepted along with 100 others persons suffering various disabilities. “For two consecutive weeks, we got intensive training in developing our administrative and financial skills and writing our businesses in professional manner with the help of a specialized team” he said.

During training, Al-Qarnawi focused on learning the information, which he applied in practice during the “Step for Future” boot camp, which he and 50 other people with disabilities who received the initial training qualified to attend. He tried to invest all the information he received in writing and presenting his project to the judging panel that did select his project to be among the 13 winners project to obtain funding.

He adds, “The moment my business was announced among the funded businesses, I felt that my dream is becoming a reality.” He received the grant after signing the contract and then picked a location to launch his business.

He started gathering equipment. His shop was designed to fit his wheelchair, thus overcoming all the obstacles he faced in his previous work. He can now move freely in his shop and receives customers.

Despite some of the obstacles he faced considering the deteriorating economic situation in the Gaza Strip, he is determined to continue his business and make it a success. “I’ve always dreamt of owning my own business and today I have an independent source of income that gives me the ability to support my family thanks to this project” he says.

Prior to opening his mobile phone maintenance business, Al-Qarnawi did not have an independent source of income. Now, he owns a business that allows him to practice his hobby and talent toward mobile devices, which he considers himself to be an expert in repairing. His next steps involves expanding his business further.

It is noted that the project “Supporting the efforts of persons with disabilities to contribute to positive social and economic empowerment in the Gaza Strip is implemented by the Social Development Forum with funding from the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI).