Moments that make us proud
Batool Bibi
Batool Bibi is a mother of two girls of which one is handicapped and is two and a half years old. After her marriage, she moved into her husband’s house which was in very bad condition. Her husband is an electrician who was earning a meagre 6,000 per month. His income was not sufficient to support an entire family with six mouths to feed. On top of that, their younger daughter needed frequent medical treatment due to her handicapped condition, and a major portion of his income was spent on her treatment. He tried his best to make ends meet by working long hours but there was hardly any change in his income.All he had was a bag of tools and a bicycle to commute long distances and would call on people in the community to ask for any repairs, maintenance works, etc. Batool Bibi had no skills as such, no experience of stitching or handicrafts, but she really wanted to play her role and contribute towards the betterment of the family. She was advised by a neighbor to check with Agahe Pakistan’s PMIFL scheme and possibly take a loan for a business activity. She discussed the matter with her husband who agreed, and subsequently she applied for the loan.Her husband was of the view that rather than going from pillar to post in search of work, it was more profitable if he had a proper shop stocked with all kinds of relevant paraphernalia. She received her first loan amount of Rs. 30,000 which she utilized to acquire a small shop for her husband in a busy market nearby, bought some basic tools and accessories, and managed to get an extra 15,000 through a committee and bought a calf. During the first year, her husband’s monthly income began to rise and he was making roughly 10-12 thousand a month, while Batool Bibi continued to raise the calf. After a year or so, she sold the calf at a decent profit and took a second loan of Rs. 30,000 from Agahe Pakistan PMIFL scheme, which she utilized to buy another cow and a calf. Batool Bibi is in her third cycle with Agahe Pakistan and is raising her two animals and feeding them well. She is confident that upon their sale at the time of Eid, she will be able to make a decent amount of profit, and will take another loan to finally buy a full grown cow that will supply milk. In the meantime, her husband’s shop is doing fairly well as he is able to save roughly 15,000 a month. The setting up of the shop in a busy location certainly has its advantages as it is visited by a lot of people.
Irshad Bibi
Irshad Bibi moved into a dilapidated house soon after her marriage with her in-laws and husband’s siblings. Her husband was employed as a laborer on daily wages with a sugar mill and earning anything from 5-10 thousand a month. She has two daughters and the income was never enough to support a family of four people. A few years into her marriage, she underwent an operation for hernia, and has had three operations so far. The cost of the operations was in the range of 20-25 thousand plus additional expenses on regular check-ups and treatments. Her husband often had to borrow money from friends and family members in order to support the family and take care of his ailing wife. There were times when they had no money to eat and would end up consuming leftover meals from the day before. Her brother in law would often help out in dire times, but he had his own family and responsibilities to take care of. Irshad Bibi did not want to live like this forever and wanted to provide the best upbringing for her children. Despite her medical condition, she wanted to do something for her family. She was told about the PMIFL scheme by a neighbor who suggested she get in touch with Agahe Pakistan in this regards. Irshad met with a representative of Agahe Pakistan and shared her plans of setting up a general store in her house. The house is located on the main road linking a few villages, and this would be a very strategic spot for a general store. After completion of her documents, she was granted a loan of Rs.25, 000 initially. With this money, she purchased some basic items to be stocked in the store and started her business. The community that she is based in were her regular customers. They did not have to go far any more. Also, people commuting on the main road to other villages would also stop by to purchase items from her store. Within a short span of time, her sales began to increase as did her income. Before the completion of the first cycle, she was able to save a decent amount of money, and combined with a committee, she also managed to purchase a cow. She reapplied for the PMIFL and was granted Rs. 30,000, which she used to add more stock to the store, and bought a second cow. She has two cows now which she plans to sell at a profit when they have come of age. She is in her third cycle with Agahe Pakistan PMIFL scheme and proudly confirms that her business is doing very well. Her monthly sales are in the range of 45-50 thousand with savings around 20,000. The store is visited by suppliers and vendors throughout the week due to its location, and as a result of this venture, Irshad Bibi has learned a thing or two about how to manage the inventory of different items.
