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Victory of a Village Vase Vendor

Written by: Grameen Foundation

Article Overview: Muazzam Jan’s house is filled with dozens of beautiful vases and other decorations. Her oldest son’s backpack sits nearby, ready for him to go to school along with her two other school-age children; her youngest will soon join them. Muazzam now runs a successful business in partnership with her husband. But not too recently, Muazzam’s life looked very different.

Victory of a Village Vase Vendor

Muazzam Jan’s house is filled with dozens of beautiful vases and other decorations. Her oldest son’s backpack sits nearby, ready for him to go to school along with her two other school-age children; her youngest will soon join them. Muazzam now runs a successful business in partnership with her husband. But not too recently, Muazzam’s life looked very different.

Five years ago, Muazzam and her husband moved from the countryside to a village just outside Islamabad, in search of better opportunities for their family. They went into business together, buying vases and other household decorations in Islamabad and then selling them from a cart they rode around the village. However, profits were small as products were not available at good prices in Islamabad. Muazzam struggled to make ends meet, and she was unable to send her oldest son to school when he reached five years old.

When Muazzam got her first loan from Grameen Foundation partner the Urban Poverty Alleviation Program (UPAP), she and her husband were able to start making the 160-mile trip to Lahore to purchase products at much better prices, increasing their profits substantially back in the village. With Muazzam’s second loan, they increased their inventory, and with the third loan, they hired someone to assist them.

Muazzam used her most recent loan to rent a shop in town. With the new shop, Muazzam and her husband no longer have to travel around the village on their cart. They are taking their business to new heights, transporting larger, higher-end vases and decorative items from Lahore to establish their new shop as the leader in their village. Their colorful inventory overflows their shop and fills the living room of their house as well.

Since building her business with help from UPAP, Muazzam has used her profits to buy a TV and a carpet for her home, and she credits her loans for enabling her to keep her three oldest children in school. Muazzam’s oldest son (now 10) could finally begin school when he turned seven, after Muazzam had taken out a loan and generated sufficient income. Muazzam dreams of one day owning her own shop and home.

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Article Tags: backpack, carpet, cart, countryside, dozens, foundation partner, household decorations, islamabad, living room, loans, mile trip, partnership, poverty alleviation, profits, school age children, successful business, urban poverty, vases



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