Jordanian enables fellow women to offer tastes of home through online platform

AMMAN — Rania Abu Arisheh, a 29-year-old agricultural engineer, pioneered an online platform in Aqaba to promote the work of women who produce home-cooked food.

Rania was among several young entrepreneurs from around the Kingdom who met with His Majesty King Abdullah last week to discuss their projects. During the meeting, His Majesty reaffirmed his keenness to support young Jordanians’ innovative projects, heard from the entrepreneurs and voiced pride in their achievements. 

Rania said she felt “honoured” to be considered among those whom His Majesty praised as “leading entrepreneurs”, especially given the fact that her project just kicked off this April.

“That kind of support for a project that only started seven months ago gives me and many others a great push. This inspires aspiring entrepreneurs to take that feared leap into the unknown,” she told The Jordan Times over the phone.

Through her digital platform Top Buffet, Rania currently markets homemade products for 11 women. “The ladies are not too familiar with online marketing, which is the leading form of marketing at the moment. The website has helped them get out there and get known,” said Rania.

On the receiving end of the project, the customers mainly comprise “families that have children with special needs who cannot eat junk food or food that has preservatives”, according to Rania. 

Rania’s vision is to expand her project to cover the villages around Aqaba, hoping one day to include the whole southern region of the Kingdom.

“With the positive energy and the support that we got from His Majesty, I feel more determined than ever to further expand my project,” she concluded.