Printing Press

Libya Humanist group

Tazirbu, Libya

Members: Maryam Al-Misrati; Fatima El-Kuni, Aisha Ben-Ghalbon, Khadija Al-Warfali, Nour El-Sherif, Salma Al-Tarhouni, Ahmed Al-Zway, Youssef Ben-Ali, Omar El-Malti

Email: maryammarratu@gmail.com

Phone: +218 91 522 0266

What does humanism mean to you?

To our group, humanism means that every person deserves to live freely, think with their own mind, and be treated with dignity without needing to follow a strict religion and any God. Because our parents were taken from us for holding these beliefs, humanism is not just an idea to us it is the very heart of who we are. It teaches us that our future is in our own hands, and that we must rely on our reason, our deep love for one another, and our own hard work to survive in a society that forces us to hide.

It also means that doing good does not come from fear, but from truly caring about other people. We do not wait for miracles to save us; we save ourselves through human action, teamwork, and the kindness of people like the HuMAN organization. By working together in our printing press project and helping our neighbors, we are living our humanist values every day. We want to prove that you can be honest, kind, and build a good life simply because you care about humanity.

Project Description

Our project is a home-based printing press business. We are nine family members living together in Libya, and we are all orphans now. Because our parents were killed for their humanist beliefs, our society is very dangerous for us. We cannot easily go out to find normal jobs without facing threats or having to hide who we are. That is why we want to start a printing service right inside our house. We can take print orders such as documents, school materials, flyers, and business cards from neighbors and local contacts through one trusted person, and do all the printing, copying, and binding safely behind closed doors. This way, we can make our own money to buy food and survive without putting our lives at risk.

If HuMAN can help us with the $750 grant, we know exactly what to do. We will use the money to buy a heavy-duty multi-function printer/copier, a heavy-duty paper cutter/guillotine, a binding and laminating machine, replacement ink/toner cartridges, bulk paper reams, and protective packaging supplies so the printed materials look professional when we return them. Since we already have water and electricity at home, we do not need to pay rent for a shop. With nine of us working together, we will divide the jobs. Some of us will handle design and printing, some will do the precise cutting and binding, and others will package and organize the orders. Because we are a big family, we can work in shifts and complete large printing orders very fast.

This business is how we will save our family. People, students, and small business owners in our city always need printed documents, photocopies, and stationery, so we know we will always have customers and a way to make a profit. We do not want to rely on charity forever; we want to earn our bread with our own hands. By starting this printing press business, we can live independently, keep each other safe, and honor our parents by staying true to our values. All we need is this small push to help us start.

Budget

Heavy-duty multi-function tank printer/copier: $300

Heavy-duty paper cutter / industrial guillotine: $120

Comb binding machine and thermal laminator: $100

High-capacity replacement ink/toner sets: $110

Bulk paper stock (A4 reams, cardstock, laminating pouches): $80

Packaging materials and stationery supplies: $40

Total: $750

Expected Income

Weeks 1 and 2: We will buy the printing equipment and materials to set up our home work room.

Week 3: We will start taking print jobs from our trusted neighbors and working our family shifts.

Expected Income: We hope to earn about $25 to $35 every day from our printing, copying, and binding services.

Timeline Goal: By the end of one month, this steady profit will pay for our food and keep us safe.

Benefits to Community

Even though we must work quietly inside our home for our safety, our printing press project will be a big help to our local community. Many people, students, and business owners in our neighborhood do not have access to reliable printing devices or electricity to produce their documents. By giving them a fast, cheap, and very professional printing service, we help them save time and get necessary paperwork, study materials, and business cards without spending too much money. Because there are nine people working together in shifts, we can return their orders much faster than regular shops. Most importantly, by offering this honest and helpful service, we can build quiet trust with our neighbors, showing them that we are hardworking people who want to be useful and add value to our society.