Ali Mohammad Shahwani
Shahar, a laborer and livestock herder, from Mitho Khoso village of UC Sekhat, District Matiari, lives below the poverty line. Supporting the economic burden of 7 siblings, Sahar’s life is difficult. “We do not have enough resources to feed our family twice a day”, she says.
Although the region she lives in is fertile, there are less opportunities due to unjust allocation of resources. “I am unable to send my children to school and seek quality health. What else should I expect from the state”, she said, while expressing grief and regret. “Except flood relief interventions, no other activities were carried out by NGOs in our communities”.
Women and men work together, but still the household’s income is not enough to help them break the vicious cycle of poverty.
“Working for hours while taking care of livestock rearing and making embroidery products does not give us high economic returns, because of the exploitative role of the middleman, as well as due to limited access to bigger markets”, she adds. 
There’s, nevertheless a glimmer of hope; a light at the end of the tunnel. The National Rural Support Programme (NRSP) has recently come to Sahar’s village to implemented the European Union funded SUCCESS Programme.
“Before being introduced to the SUCCESS Programme, we did not know how to use our capacities and skills in a more efficient and effective manner to break the chain of poverty”, says Sahar, whose name means morning in the Urdu language.
“NRSP-SUCCESS team visited our village and urged us to come together for our own development. They said that by coming together and indulging in various productive activities we can earn enough to overcome poverty”, Sahar adds.
The women, eager to defeat poverty, agreed to come together and establish their own organisation. They started saving money, based on their individual capacities, to create a pool of funds which could be revolved through a system of loaning. By saving 20 rupees, on average, every day, the women have been able to save up to 12,000 rupees a month.
“I was lucky enough to be the first recipient of the loan. I told the members of the CO that my economic condition is not really good. They lended me the 12,000 rupees, which I used to purchase a goat, and a sewing machine”, says Sahar Bano.
Having prior experience of rearing livestock (she had 9 goats and 2 buffalos), Sahar is able to take good care of her animals. She now has 11 goats, after the newly purchased goat gave birth to a goatling. The milk-intake of her family has increased, which is beneficial for their health. She also sews clothes and earns good money. This is in addition to the sale of Rilly and Gajj, local handicrafts, that she sells in a nearby market.
“I am very glad to see the increase in my livestock, and confident to enhance my livestock in future” said Shahar Bano.
“This is not the end. It is just the beginning. I am not stopping here. I plan to become an entrepreneur of embroidery work in the future, and I also want to share my experience and skills with the other women”, says a determined Sahar, who has started feeling more hopeful.
The contributor is District M&E Officer for Tando Allahyar and Matiari.