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Our own Oakville-based small business Sitti Social Enterprise will receive a grant of $10,000 and one-year coaching as part of the She's Next Grant Program- Visa Canada's initiative in partnership with IFundWomen to empower women-owned businesses in Canada.
Since the start of 2020, through its global She's Next Grant Program, Visa has awarded over $1.6 million in grants and coaching memberships to women across the globe. In its third round this year, Visa chose ten women entrepreneurs on May 9, 2022, to offer "the resources needed to support their growth after being hit hard by the pandemic."
Oakville News spoke with the co-founder, Noora Sharrab, to learn more about her.
ON: Congratulations to you and your team for the grant. What value does it bring to your business?
NS: It makes a huge difference for us to be recognized for our work and potential. Sitti means "My Grandmother" in Arabic. We named our business Sitti (pronounced as si-TEE) because the traditions of our grandmothers inspire our products. Our social enterprise has a purpose- which the fund will help us fulfil.
ON: Tell us about your brand?
NS: We design and manufacture sustainable lifestyle products. We began with our signature olive oil soap bar and have since grown to a product line of refugee artisan-made bath & body products, kitchen items, apparel & accessories. All SITTI-branded products are made at our workshop facility in Jerash Camp, Jordan.
We started as a small team of a few women.
Our company now supports over 30 team members across two community-based partners in the camp. We are committed to the self-reliance of refugee and displaced communities through long-term employment opportunities and skill development training.
We're an impact-driven global brand, and we're excited for the growth ahead in pursuit of our mission.
ON: What led you to this venture?
NS: I am a Palestinian by origin though raised and educated in Canada. Naturally, I developed a sense of responsibility while working in a Palestinian refugee camp in Jordan to pursue academic research during my graduation in 2015.
During my work in Jordan's non-profit sector, I met my co-founders, Jacqueline Sofia and Safiah Abu Shanin. Safiah and several of the women were making olive oil soap and wanted to sell it. They wanted to create more financial independence for themselves in the camp.
Safiah, Jacqueline and I came together to figure out how these beautiful soap bars could be sold to people. We brought them to friends and family in Amman, Canada and the US. Everybody loved them. It was an immediate success.
ON: How difficult was the journey to convert it into a full-fledged conscious lifestyle brand?
NS: I always knew that many people like myself in North America love products with a story or purpose. That being said- like any other business, we had to plan and focus on quality control, packaging, cash flow and meeting international standards.
To validate the long-term potential of the enterprise, I brought these handmade soaps to Canada in the summer of 2016 and distributed the samples in the farmers' markets.
Once we got positive feedback, we incorporated the business the following winter.
By that time, we had also ensured that we could provide partial job security to the vulnerable women in the Jordanian production facility for at least 1.5 years if we didn't break even.
ON: How did you secure the funding? Did you take private loans?
NS: We were fortunate that corporate sponsors helped us with equipment and even free paint to build the production centre. In addition, we managed to gather over CAD$20,000 through crowdfunding to grow the business in the initial phase and support the artisans.
ON: Do you have specific plans to use the grant?
NS: While setting up the business, we not only thought of changing the socio-economic status of the workers but also aimed to create a global opportunity for them. So we will use the funding from the Visa She’s Next Grant Program to expand our product line and grow our business across North America and the Middle East.
Jacqueline and I are also flying to Jordan this summer to focus on the team's well-being through a mental health retreat.
ON: Do you have a message for the locals?
NS: I request the residents to buy our all-natural products created by refugees to add a sense of tradition to their daily lives.
We often underestimate our power as consumers. Take a moment and choose wisely in your personal or professional capacity to help local businesses in your backyard grow.