I was born in Safita to a modest family. My father owned a small sewing factory that faced tough competition from the rise of ready-made clothing.
At just eight years old, I took spools of thread from the factory and set up a small stall in Safita’s local market. My father stopped me to protect me, but that moment planted my very first passion for self-reliance.
On January 1st, 2006, when I was 12 years old, an electric battery exploded and I lost vision in my eye. My family refused to give up, and in Damascus, a skilled doctor performed a complex surgery. That accident forged my resilience.
At age 13, I started working summer jobs first in painting, then in an aluminum workshop—balancing my studies with hard work.