A Promise That Kept Emma Going: Building a Business in Armenia After the War

“When I look back at everything I’ve been through, I sometimes wonder where I found the strength to keep going. There were days when I was exhausted, both physically and emotionally, but I still had to get up, take care of my four children, and go to work. Losing my husband changed our lives completely, and nothing could fill the emptiness he left behind. But every time I looked at my children, I knew I couldn’t give up. I wanted them to grow up without worrying about money or feeling that they were missing something. Looking back now, I realize I was stronger than I ever thought I could be. And if there’s one thing I want to tell other women who have experienced loss, it’s this: some pain stays with us forever. We may never forget what happened, but we can learn to live with it. Life doesn’t stop, and neither should we. We have to find the strength to keep moving forward, for ourselves and for the people we love.”

Emma’s journey in the beauty industry began in 2018, when her husband opened a small beauty salon next to their home. At the time, she couldn’t have imagined how important that salon would one day become for her and her children. Emma’s husband was her biggest supporter. He encouraged her to take courses, learn new skills, and grow professionally. Whenever Emma wanted to attend a training course, he supported her decision and bought the tools and products she needed for her work. “He always believed in me,” she remembers.

For two years, they worked together to build the business. But in 2020, everything changed. First came the COVID-19 pandemic. Then came the war, during which Emma lost her husband. Suddenly, she had to raise their four children alone. Her youngest child had been born during the war and was only 46 days old.

The following months were among the hardest of her life. Emma was grieving the loss of her husband while trying to care for her children and understand how their family would move forward. She knew that life would never be the same, but she also knew that her children needed her. During those difficult days, she often thought about something her husband used to tell her. “He would say, ‘We are going to achieve so much through you. One day, you will be working, and all of us will look at you with pride.’”

Around that time, Emma heard about the Women’s Empowerment in Armenia project of the Armenian Fund for Sustainable Development, which helps women start or grow their businesses. She decided to apply. She prepared a business plan, submitted her application, and was selected to take part in the project. By then, she already had professional experience and a strong desire to develop her salon. What she lacked was the money to invest in better equipment, products, and further training. Through the project, she was able to attend professional courses, including makeup training, and received hairdressing and makeup tools and products that she needed for her work.

“I would not have been able to buy all those products or pay for the courses myself at that time,” she explains.

The support helped Emma make real changes in her salon. She replaced her old scissors and combs, received new styling tools, and started using professional hair colors and other products. She also began working with companies that supplied professional hair products. Just as importantly, the courses helped her improve her skills and feel more confident in her work. For Emma, this support came at exactly the right time. It gave her the opportunity to develop a profession she loved, improve the services she offered, and take another step toward financial independence. Soon, she began to see the results of these changes.

After completing her training, Emma reached an important new stage in her career: she started teaching others. Her first group had four students. It was a special moment for her. Years earlier, her husband had encouraged her to attend courses and learn from other professionals. Now, she was the one sharing her knowledge and helping other women learn new skills.

Meanwhile, more clients were discovering her salon. As Emma improved her skills and started using better products, more people began to trust her work. She also learned how to promote her services on social media, creating reels, sharing stories, and running advertisements. Living and working in a village, she knew that personal recommendations were especially important. When clients were happy with her services, they told their friends and relatives about her.

In 2024, she made another important decision. She rented a new space and opened a larger salon, becoming “Emka’s” founder and manager. The Armenian Fund for Sustainable Development also noticed her hard work and progress.

Seeing how actively she was developing her business, the project decided to support her once again. This new support allowed Emma to acquire professional equipment and materials for the salon. For her, they are far more than simple purchases: quality tools and products help her work more efficiently, offer clients better, safer services, and keep up with growing demand. Having the right equipment and materials is essential for any professional, and for Emma it means she can focus on what matters most: developing her skills and growing her business.

These may seem like small improvements, but for Emma, every new piece of equipment and every change in the salon is another step toward building a stronger business. And today, she no longer has to do everything alone. Her close friend Ani, whom she has known for about 15 years, now works with her. For Emma, having people she can trust is very important. She wants to build a team that can grow together, share responsibilities, and keep the salon running even when she cannot be there.

Today, Emma raises four children, runs her own salon, teaches students, and helps other women develop their skills. What began as a small family business has become much more than a source of income. She built it through years of hard work, with the support she received along the way and the determination to create a better future for her children. Although her husband is no longer there to see everything she has achieved, the words he once said to her remain with her. The promise she made to him continues to guide her, one step at a time.

Arev Society provides management and communication support to the AF4SD "Vulnerable Women Empowerment" program.