Success Stories

Rawalpindi’s Microfinance Wonder Woman – Ghulam Zaitoon

Day in Day out we are bombarded with inspirational stories of very successful people whether it be in our lives or on TV and when in life we encounter these personalities who are projected as success stories, we like to believe that it is because of their educational backgrounds or rich family heritage. Here, need be reminded that such notions are not only untrue but are very myopic in nature. Success stories are all around us, everyone is a survivor and inspiration can be sought from the story of a Doodhwala around the corner or our very own tailor. It is a known fact that education plays a major role in determining how far you go in life but at the same time the value of hard work, intelligence and perseverance can’t be undermined. Though rare growth opportunities are available to the under-privileged class in our male dominated society, there are very few instances which show a defiant struggle by a woman against the hard to die male chauvinism to explore better means for survival.

Zaitoon Bibi, 61 year old mother of four kids and a husband suffering from cancer had an extremely hard time finding steady work in her hometown. She has been living with her family in Mohallah Amarpura for over 25 years. The past was much bitter for her due to lack of money to run her kitchen. Nevertheless, she was determined to take her family out of these failing circumstances and decided to take the bull by its horns and find a way around these problems. Although she possessed the relevant furniture-making skills, she never really had enough capital to utilize her skills and start a furniture business.
She kept on looking for ways and means to set-up her own shop before her quest led her way to Khushhalibank, a large microfinance bank, to avail its loan facility for setting up her business. Within no time her loan was sanctioned and Zaitoon straight away got to work and began to weave her business plans. The microfinance loan received from the bank enabled her to invest in vital materials and tools for furniture making. With everything set-up, she headed out to establish new contacts with the relevant stake holders in and out of the city. It took her a while to earn their confidence but at the end of the day she returned home victorious with some good contracts in hand. The profit earned from the business allowed Zaitoon to purchase supplies from cities such as Chiniot and Faisalabad at much lower prices as compared to the much higher prices in Rawalpindi.

Zaitoon came to realize that she had the power to turn around her life and the confidence and strength that followed proved miraculous for her business. She was now driven to extend her business and push her limits so she could achieve her potential. Her actions and tireless efforts had a significant impact on her business and her hard work was bearing fruit. In an attempt to further increase her revenue and be in a position to accept the influx of order she hired five workers from her community to assist her in the work. Nowadays, life seems to have taken a positive turn for Zaitoon and her family, as the once stay at home mom, she is now earning a good livelihood and providing for all expenses of her children including their education and marriages.

Now, in her seventh loan cycle, Zaitoon owns a residential plot, a furniture shop in Commercial Market and has been able to purchase a motor bike for her son. She now not only earns for herself, but also provides employment opportunities to others by employing them in her business. Her circumstances rather than breaking her down have made her a confident and self-reliant person who knows she too can contribute positively to the world. Zaitoon continues to weave more plans for her business and aspires to further expand it by opening up another shop. She also continues to brainstorm creative ideas and tap all new opportunities to empower herself and her community members to partake in her growing business. Thus a little determination, empowerment and support can go a long way as it’s evident from Ghulam Zaitoon’s life altering journey.