“I know what it feels like to watch your dreams slip away.”
Empowering women through skill and strength
Nahla Abdo is a determined 25-year-old woman from the Al-Ma’afer district in Yemen. A mobile technician by trade and a mentor by heart, Nahla is transforming her community, one repaired phone and one trained woman at a time.
Her journey is one of resilience, innovation, and hope. With support from Oxfam, Nahla has turned personal tragedy into a powerful mission to uplift others, especially women from marginalised communities.
A journey of loss and determination
Nahla’s life changed forever at the age of 22. Her family, once thriving in a peaceful village in Taiz, was devastated by the sudden death of her brother in a car accident. He had been the family’s main provider. Her other brother lost the ability to walk. Nahla, still a university student, had no choice but to abandon her education and become the sole breadwinner for her family of 11.
“Some people wouldn’t pay us just because we were young and from the Muhamasheen group,” she recalls. “There were days I cried myself to sleep, wishing I could just be a normal girl, finish school, and not worry about our next meal.”
But Nahla refused to be defined by her circumstances.
From self-taught skills to community impact
While volunteering with local organisations, Nahla discovered a passion for mobile phone repair. Using her brother’s old laptop, she began teaching herself through online guides. Her breakthrough came when she visited a friend and learned about a mobile maintenance workshop supported by Oxfam and Tamdeen.
From self-taught skills to community impact
While volunteering with local organisations, Nahla discovered a passion for mobile phone repair. Using her brother’s old laptop, she began teaching herself through online guides. Her breakthrough came when she visited a friend and learned about a mobile maintenance workshop supported by Oxfam and Tamdeen.
I told them I had experience and just needed support to start a project,” she says. They registered me, and that’s when everything changed.”— Nahla Abdo
After completing the training, Nahla set up a small repair corner in her home using basic tools and spare parts. She began offering training sessions to women via WhatsApp, creating a safe and empowering space for learning in a conservative society.
I know many girls in my village who wish for a female technician,” she explains. They’re afraid to hand over their phones to men because of privacy concerns.”
Leading change, one repair at a time
Today, Nahla is the only female mobile technician in her village. She has opened her own shop and continues to train other women, becoming a role model for many.
“I feel ecstatic now that I have my own source of income,” she says. “I no longer have to graze sheep for neighbours. I even managed to build a small wooden room and buy groceries for my brother.”
Nahla’s income has helped her family slowly recover from debt. Even more remarkably, she has completed her science degree, fulfilling a dream she once thought lost.
A vision for the future
Nahla’s ambitions don’t stop here. She dreams of expanding her shop, offering more training and job opportunities for women, and studying English to further her skills.
“I aspire to open a larger mobile maintenance shop,” she says. “I want to supervise and support more women, so they too can have a chance at a better life.”
The value of Oxfam’s support
Through Oxfam’s support, Nahla was able to access training, tools, and a network of encouragement that helped her turn her passion into a profession. Her story is a testament to the power of investing in women’s skills and leadership, especially in communities where opportunities are scarce.
Nahla Abdo is not just fixing phones. She’s fixing futures.
