A Young Entrepreneur Hatches a Successful Poultry Business

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After completing a university degree in engineering, Hamza, now 27, spent a year trying to secure a job in and around the Palestinian city of Hebron. Statistically, he was one of the 44 percent of Palestinian youth who are unemployed, over half of whom hold university degrees. With few options before him, he turned to the entrepreneurship and career guidance resources available through Palestine Polytechnic University (PPU). PPU is a long-term partner of the Youth Entrepreneurship Development (YED) program, a five-year initiative of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the International Youth Foundation (IYF). With support from YED, PPU has instituted a range of employability and entrepreneurship services specifically tailored to youth like Hamza.

Through PPU’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Community Development, Hamza received life skills training followed by thirty hours of entrepreneurship instruction and support. Being in the company of other aspiring entrepreneurs helped him to refine his thinking and learn from others’ successes and challenges. As part of the training, Hamza developed a business plan for a poultry enterprise. His plan was one of six to be selected through a YED-sponsored competition in mid-2013 to receive incubation and financial support.

Today, Hamza is the proud owner of Al Noor Poultry Farm. He credits the PPU program with equipping him with the project management skills that enabled him to research and develop his business and successfully market his products.

“After determining that quail eggs are one of the most valuable goods on the market, I started with three birds—two female and one male—with the goal of breeding more,” says Hamza. Seeking to grow his business, he conceived of an automated system for turning the eggs while they incubated, saving him precious time and manual labor. Financial support provided through PPU enabled him to purchase the necessary equipment. “As a result, I was able to be more efficient with my resources and expand my products to other types of birds, including decorative chickens, as well as rabbits,” he adds.

Hamza has now opened a store to sell the eggs he produces, as well as other local products like cheese and yogurt. Since the launch of his business, his income has expanded seven-fold, with Hamza sharing his knowledge of quail breeding with other local farms.

“In the future, I hope to expand the farm and raise more birds,” says the ambitious young business owner. “My goal is make it an educational farm and cooperate with Ministry of Education in Hebron to teach primary school students about birds and poultry farming.”

Admitting that launching a business is full of challenges, Hamza emphasizes the value of persistence. “It’s important to focus on your strengths and improve your weaknesses,” he says. “Step by step, it’s possible to reach your goals.”

Hamza is one of a hundred Palestinian youth to start businesses since 2012 with support from the Youth Entrepreneurship Development program.

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success story small business agriculture