Announcement
Nael and Manar own Al Hamdani sweet shop in Spring Valley.
For 24 years, Nael made and sold sweets, first as a baker and eventually at Al Manar Sweets, a shop he owned and managed back home in Iraq. When he and Manar fled, the business and the years of work he had put into building it were left behind. Nael always kept the goal of once again starting his own shop in mind, and when he and Manar were resettled to the US as refugees in July 2014 he soon got a job working at Al Sultan Baklava and Bakery in El Cajon.
After three years working at Al Sultan, Nael began working with an IRC business counselor to refine his business plan for a new shop, and applied for a $5,000 loan to help him buy equipment including a TV, display counters, and a large outdoor sign. Through steady, long-term investment of time, effort and skill, Nael was able to start his business, Al Hamdani Sweets in August 2017 in the Spring Valley area, in a popular location. Today, the couple co-manages the successful shop, with Nael focusing on the baking and Manar taking the lead on management and marketing.
In March 2018, Manar completed IRC’s Individual Development Account, a matched savings program, and saved $4,000 of business income and received an additional $4,000 in match funds, which the couple spent on additional equipment for the shop. Nael and Manar have had a perfect repayment history on their loan and are currently working on a second loan application to further expand the business, in addition to sales at the shop their products are now also found in a number of local grocery stores.