Women show off their skills at Cornwall’s Muslim Girl Entrepreneurship Market

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On a Saturday afternoon, you might mistake the cafeteria at St. Lawrence Secondary School for a Middle Eastern or African bazaar.

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Nearly 30 small businesses, most run by teenagers or younger, proudly displayed their products at the Muslim Women Entrepreneurs Market.

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Organizing coordinator Haleema Chaudhry had a satisfied look on her face as she guided visitors to the many entrepreneurs. Chaudhry is also a member of the Standard-Freeholder Community Editorial Board.

Sister team Zara and Fatima Aziz have teamed up to create a magazine to celebrate Eid and Ramadan, as well as bookmarks to use when reading magazines and other publications.

On the eve of Ramadan, special emphasis was placed on celebrating this holy period.

Several more tables displayed special dishwasher-safe cups and plates printed with different designs by Safaa N..

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Chaudhry’s sister Hafsa had a particularly long table with many calligraphy pieces with Arabic phrases written on them and various candles.

The event was also an opportunity for adults to showcase their talents, including Seem Malik, who returned to painting after many years and now wants to sell his paintings to the public.

There were also a few dressmakers like Soraya Njoya who designed and made their own clothes. So were all other products, including jewelry, henna tattoos, and material packaging.

Chaudhry said she wanted to shine a spotlight on the talents of Muslim girls for International Women’s Day. There’s another quality to the opportunities girls have to express their creativity, she said.

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About 300 people came to the show, Chaudhry explained, adding, “They learned how to treat customers, how to talk to people, and they felt more confident in what they were doing.” Told.

The event was originally scheduled to end around 4 p.m., but people were still coming through the doors at 4:30 p.m.

One of those purchases was in Cornwall County. Fred Ngonjo.

“The Muslim community is one of the most important in Cornwall and Canada,” Mr Ngounjo said. “It is always a joy and a humbling feeling to participate in an event of this kind, where so many families, parents and girls spend so much time creating original pieces that represent their culture and beliefs. It was full of generosity.

“I would like to thank the Muslim community for this great initiative.”

Chaudhry said he hopes to organize similar events in the future that focus on culture rather than products. Tentatively, this will happen in the summer.

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