There is always a way out

Yasir Ilyas

RAWALPINDI, October 22, 2010: Life could be spent in infinite ways. It’s up to a person either to let life drag him or her randomly or to take control of things into his or her own hands and drive things as he or she desires. And Shamim went for the second option.

Shamim, a rural housewife, is a self-made woman who was able to achieve her goals with the help of Khushhali Bank Limited. Her determination and hard work has rightly earned her the respect and admiration of everyone around her.

Shamim was a woman at odds between children, husband and in-laws along with the everyday running of the house. Like this isn’t enough to cope with, the responsibility to find means to run the household can be very distressing for many and the reason for a lot of health issues.

Shamim had hungry children at her hands that kept falling sick due to lack of proper nourishment and no medical care. She was distraught but kept the faith. Instead of being weakened by her problems she decided that the only way they would go away was if she took up the challenge.

Knowing that she had to go out and do something to turn around their financial situation but restrained by family responsibilities, Shamim came to the conclusion that whatever the means her operation point would have to be from home. Talented as she was when it came to cooking, Shamim took the risk and plunged into the world of catering on a low scale. She started off small and from her home kitchen where she would fill a few small orders every week. News of her delicious cooking started to travel in the community, and the number of orders she received per week started to grow. What started off as a means to earn extra income to support the family had now turned into a budding business.

“We were living hand to mouth and then I decided to take a loan to start something which could raise the means of income for the family. I started the business of food, as I knew only the art of cooking, the business expanded”, Shamim said while talking to INFN.

Encouraged by family and friends, Shamim was now ready to become a true entrepreneur. She was going to set up and operate from a proper facility for which she had already thought up a name ‘Pakwan Centre’.

Shamim’s endeavours and tireless efforts had a significant impact on her business and her hard work was bearing fruit. Today Shamim runs two shops from where her business operates and she has hired a few more cooks to help with the work coming in. The establishment of her own business has brought Shamim a lot of respect from her community people as she has learnt how to run a business as well as fulfilling all responsibilities of her family.

Her story is truly an inspirational one, whereby Shamim started from scratch and transformed her life on the basis of her initiative. Her journey started from a life of hardships and hunger and has now ended in one that serves as a source of pride for her and her family. Her commitment and decision to take a loan and start her own work paid off and took her family to new heights. Her living standards have greatly improved ever since she got a loan, her children who at one point in time had nothing to eat are now enrolled in good schools and are acquiring quality education. Her steadfast faith gave her the courage to overcome the harsh realities of life and the unimaginable adversity that came with it. -- INFN (Infochange News and Features Network)