Iqbal Khatoon, 42, is married to her cousin Noor Muhammad. They have five children, three daughters and two sons. Based in Priya village of UC Priya, District Dadu, the family had would could through tough time, due to limited work opportunities. Noor Muhammad was earning for the family by labouring on daily wages.
It was hard to get labouring opportunity on a regular basis, except for the harvest season when work was abundant. The family’s difficulties compounded recently due to an unforeseen situation; Noor Muhammad fail sick and could not work for five months.
“It was a very challenging time in our lives. The local cultural practices also restrict women’s movement. I was also unable to work,” says Iqbal Khatoon, while sharing her ordeal. “I did not lose my hope though. Something had to be done to ensure the family’s survival”, she adds.
Her hopes were answered when a team of Thardeep Rural Development Programme (TRDP) visited their village. The TRDP team held a meeting with the locals, and told them that a new development programme named SUCCESS funded by the European Union is being launched in the area. The locals were told that to reap full benefits of the development programme, they will have to foster their own institutions and start saving money. The women would then be able to make decisions about how to improve their community’s life, the TRDP team members told the locals.
“We agreed to form our community institution”, says Iqbal Khatoon, because the idea of working in a united manner made sense.
Iqbal Khatoon preparing chips
“Most of the residents of our village are really poor. We knew it all along. This was also proven during a survey conducted by TRDP. The survey revealed that most of us had less than 23 score [on the Poverty Scorecard]. My own household’s poverty score is 20”, Khatoon added.
The community institution they formed gave them hope. Now the women could sit together, discuss issues, deliberate about solutions, and save money for collective well being. They were also getting opportunities to get trained.
“During the Community Management Skills Training (SMST), we learnt about the importance of savings. The training also provided us with guidance regarding utilisation of saving. After the training, we shared the key points from the training at our CO meetings. Then we began the process of savings, and deposited them with the CO Manager after our fortnightly meetings”, said Khatoon.
“At the CO meeting, I told my fellow CO members that I needed a sum of Rs. 2,000 to start a small enterprise of selling chips and traditional ice cream (Kulfi), and to cover the transport cost of sending my youngest son, 18, to Karachi for work. We had been able to save 3,750 rupees by then. The CO members, who were aware of my husband’s ailment, agreed to lend me the money.”
“Of the borrowed amount, I gave 1000 to my son and sent him to Karachi with one of our relatives to find work. With the remaining 1,000 rupees, i started making Kulfis (ice candies). I would make the candies and my husband will sell them outside our house. My husband was able to do it, because selling Kulfis didn’t involve heavy work, and lots of movement”, says Iqbal Khatoon.
After one month, the ice candy sales took off. Now they were able to sell candies worth 50 rupees everyday. “I also purchased local chips (Tutala/Papa) and prepared tasty Chatni with. We began to sell Kulfi and chips”, Iqbal Khatoon say.
“With the profit we make, our financial condition has begun to improve. I am also repaying loan installments to the CO. My son has found work in Karachi and has promised to send some money every month. Our situation will become much better”, said Iqbal Khatoon.
“My experience shows that the potential of the poor people is constrained by lack of access to small amounts of capital. In our case, we had the potential but no capital. With the CO’s trust and support, I received a small loan of Rs. 2,000, and my family’s life began to change. Getting together in CO and starting savings has worked a miracle. Learning from my success, now other CO members have begun to have ideas and Insha Allah CO will also support them with small amounts of capital,” she concludes.