“Qurat-Ul-Ain is married to a laborer who is a daily wage earner working at different jobs around the city. It was difficult for the family to make ends meet and Qurat-Ul-Ain was constantly pressurized by her in-laws to borrow from her own family and friends. She realised that she needed to break tradition and start a business of her own. Doing so would ensure improvement in living conditions for her family and the elimination of accumulated debt.

She decided to set up a small general store catering to her neighbouring residents. Setting up her own general store came with its own set of difficulties. Qurat-Ul-Ain had no prior experience in dealing with customers while old lenders began reaching out to the general store for settlement of previous debts. This meant that Qurat-Ul-Ain had no resources to replenish stocks at her store on a regular basis.

Her strive to improve her living conditions brought her to CEIP. She acquired a loan which she used to restock her general store in addition to adding a wider variety of products to sell. The loan gave her an opportunity to generate a larger revenue stream and elevate the lifestyle of her family while reducing their burden and dependence on debt.

She now ensures that her monthly utility bills are paid on time and enables her to avoid late payment surcharges. She has continued to reinvest her profits back into the business to further diversify the range of products it carries. There is no other general store except hers in the immediate vicinity, so females find it easier to utilise her services rather than commuting to and from the city. She dreams of moving her general store to a bigger and better location one day.”