Maneeja Batool has always relied on word of mouth to find new customers for her Pari Saloon beauty parlor in Quetta, Pakistan. Like many people in her community, she’s a refugee from Afghanistan. Learning marketing skills for her business was never an option.
That’s why the Refugees & Trade programme at the International Trade Centre offers free training for both refugees and the communities that host them. Successful small businesses make communities less dependent on aid. Showing refugees and host communities how they can work together in business makes both groups stronger.
Maneeja was among 30 people who went through a three-day training on business knowledge, marketing strategies, and digital tools essential for entrepreneurship.
Transforming challenges into opportunities
Many refugees work in the informal sector, without access to structured support or to digital platforms. The ITC training, funded by VISA, used roleplays, group exercises, and case studies to break down complex topics into simple, actionable strategies.
The sessions covered digital literacy, digital skills, online digital payments streams, digital marketing, and online business platforms – including pricing models, bookkeeping, branding, and customer service. Participants were also introduced to marketing tools, such as mobile-based promotion, WhatsApp marketing, and basic e-commerce principles.
‘We’ve always relied on word of mouth. Now I understand how digital tools can help me grow and compete,’ said Maneeja, an Afghan refugee who runs a Pari Saloon business.
Key dignitaries attended the closing ceremony, including Abu Arbab Talib Ul Maula, Commissioner Afghan Refugees Balochistan, and Badruddin Kakar, National Chairman of the Pakistan Flour Mills Association. Both leaders emphasized the importance of economic development programmes in empowering local and refugee populations alike.
Their presence reinforced the value of collaboration among government, businesses, and international organizations in driving economic empowerment.
A call to strengthen support for small businesses
This training serves as a successful model for inclusive enterprise development. It demonstrates how a focused intervention—grounded in local realities and enhanced with digital tools—can rapidly build capacity, confidence, and connection among underserved entrepreneurs.
ITC continues to support refugee-led small businesses in Balochistan and other underserved regions, scaling digital literacy, market access, and entrepreneurship training.
Article was first published by International Trade Centre