Widow starts her gloomy business after passing through EDT

Shaam Bibi aged 39 is mother of two daughters and two sons. She born in village Bahrain

and got married to a merchant in Peshawar. Her husband was of her father age at the time of

marriage. Shaam Bibi never complain her parents for this unjust decision but manage to live

with her old husband for 15 years. Then after 15 years of her marriage her husband died of

cancer and left Shaam Bibi along with her four young children in 2006.

Shaam Bibi lived with her brothers for three years but then she felt that her brothers are

discriminating her children and giving more preference to their own children. This made

Shaam Bibi realize that it will affect her children’s life negatively. Then she decided to start

sewing and took a one room house on rent. Only stitching was not enough to meet her family

needs. One day she thought, she should start a small shop at home, in this way it will be easy

for her to manage expenses.

She took loan from one of her husband’s relatives and bought some cloths and some other

general consuming items and started a new small business. As she had no experience, she

failed to continue new business and switch to dress making again. She made great loss in that

business. Many cloths and other items remained unsold at her home.

In September 2013, SRSP women staff visited her village Pukhtunabad and formed WCO.

Mrs. Shaam Bibi also became member in that organization. She also took admission in Adult

Literacy Center (ALC) in March 2014. Now she can read and make simple calculations.

In June,2014, WCO Pukhtunabad nominated her through resolution for dress making training

and it was mandatory to attend three days Enterprise Development Training prior to dress

making skill training. In June she attended a three days EDT in Ramadan.

On 21st June their skill training started and now she completed dress making training as well.

During a monitoring visit, Shaam Bibi shared with SRSP staff that in EDT she learnt through

role plays how to sell things at shop, how to run a business and how to satisfy the customer.

In mid ramadan she visit local market, and enquired rates of those items which remained

unsold with her. She advertised those items in community gatherings and offered good on

suitable rates.

Surprisingly all of the items sold with profit, and she bought other cloths and sold on Eid

occasion. Now she has returned the loan amount and her business has started successfully.

EDT sessions and simulation exercises for the participants at Behrin, made me more clear

on enterprises and business and provide me heaps of confidence and spirit to restart my

declined business with new zeal, thank you SRSP for enhancing my skill , says Shaam bibi