📸 An Inspiring Success Story: Riyan Shakhshir – Through the Lens of Passion, Dreams Become Reality

📸 In Irbid Governorate, where talent intersects with challenge, Riyan Youssef Shakhshir emerged as one of the ambitious young women who transformed passion into a tangible economic opportunity—defying a reality that still limits many women’s access, especially in rural areas, to employment and economic empowerment.

 

📸 Since childhood, the camera became an extension of Riyan’s eyes and heart—capturing life’s moments and turning them into images that speak with emotion and tell stories. Photography was never just a hobby for her; it was a passion that grew with her. She dreamed of nurturing it into a freelance career that would express her identity and grant her financial independence.

 

📷 But the road wasn’t easy. Like many women in rural areas, Riyan faced challenges in accessing training opportunities and technical support, along with the absence of an enabling environment that empowers women to establish their own businesses freely and confidently. The professional camera she had dreamed of for years remained out of reach.

 

🌟 The turning point came when I joined the project “Towards Enhancing Women’s Economic Participation in Jordan”, implemented by the Change Makers Center for Sustainable Development with support from the European Union, and in partnership with Tamkeen Legal Aid and the EuroMed Feminist Initiative.

 

• 📈 Small Business Management and Feasibility Analysis
  
   
• 💡 Digital Marketing and Personal Branding
• ⏳ Efficient Time and Resource Management
  
   
• 🛡️ Risk and Sustainability Planning to Ensure Project Growth
  
   
• 🤝 Professional Networking and Year-Long Mentorship with Experts and Supporting Institutions

📷 Riyan also received a development grant that enabled her to purchase a professional camera and equipment—tools that, for her, were instruments of empowerment, not just photography gear. They opened new doors for her to build her own independent business.

📸 Today, Riyan leads her own business as a professional photographer, documenting people’s stories and expressing them through her lens. She offers her services at local events and celebrations, contributing to the creation of a successful model for freelance work in rural Jordan.

 

🌟 Riyan’s experience affirms that small projects are not merely a source of income for women in rural areas, but a powerful tool for economic liberation, self-fulfillment, and building a professional future rooted in competence and passion. Today, she is proud that her story has become a source of inspiration for every young woman who sees talent as a window to a better life.

 

🔹 Because every photo tells a story… and Riyan chose to tell hers with a shot filled with light, a dream, and a new reality.