Microfinancing empowering women in Pakistan

Shaheen’s cellphone rang in the middle of the night with her husband’s name flickering on the screen. She answered the phone to news that shattered her world—a strange voice asking her to come and identify her husband’s body.  Shaheen’s husband had left the family home in Johar Morr, Karachi that evening to pick up medicine for their son. On his way back, he was cut down by a stray bullet intended for someone else. Shaheen hung up the phone to a new reality; she was a widow and her five children were fatherless.

Her husband’s murder left Shaheen unsure as to how to support herself and her children. Despite working as a teacher prior to her husband’s death, the family had relied on their dual incomes to survive. Shaheen was unprepared to take on the entire responsibility of supporting her family, but she had no other choice.

Shaheen remembered how her husband had always encouraged her to be independent. “He pushed me to continue to learn and participate in regular training. He was a very hardworking person who instilled in me the confidence and determination to work hard in life. Through him I learned there is no substitute for hard work and sincerity in what you do,”said Shaheen.

The school where Shaheen worked offered support. She was promoted to a new position overseeing school admissions. This role came with greater responsibility and a higher salary. A firm believer that every child deserves the right to an education, Shaheen spent her days advocating the importance of schooling, for both boys and girls, to hundreds of parents in her area.

Shaheen’s vision inspired many parents to send their children to school. As a widow who never compromised on her own children’s education, she became an inspirational figure for mothers in the neighborhood. Her dedication doubled enrollment at her school. Even children from resource-constrained families enrolled in larger numbers. This success saw Shaheen promoted again, becoming the school’s principal. 

Yet life continued to challenge Shaheen. The internal management of the school proved unstable and, as a result, she was asked to leave. Again, she found herself struggling to support her family but she never failed to believe in herself. “I have always known that when a woman resolves to work hard, no one can stop her from succeeding and achieving her goals,”she said.

Shaheen realized she couldn’t rely on unstable jobs to sustain a family. She needed something more permanent, and something of her own that she could shape herself. She decided to open her own school.

Despite having to dedicate all her savings and selling a small flat she owned to start this venture, Shaheen was determined to become an entrepreneur.

She walked from door to door in the scorching Sindh heat, convincing parents to send their children to her school. She visited students who were bright, but could not afford to attend school. Shaheen was not just a businesswoman, but a strong advocate for children’s education. She waived enrollment fees for many children to ensure they had access to a classroom.

 “We started off with one student who paid just 300 rupees. Nothing makes me happier than seeing children from our community walking in the gates of Wisdom Grammar School at 8 am every morning,” she added.

Although she was able to scrape together enough money to open a tiny school, she could not afford the materials and additional teachers her students required. She needed more capital.

Just when she was looking for lenders, a representative from ​a leading and oldest microfinance bank ​ visited her school. He offered a loan of 150,000 rupees for expansion. The microfinance  bank is a partner in the USAID-funded U.S.-Pakistan Partnership for Access to Credit, a part of Pakistan's Poverty Reduction Strategy and its Microfinance Sector Development Program. 

The loan enabled her to expand the school to meet the needs of her growing cohort of students.It also renewed her faith in herself as an entrepreneur and her commitment to education.

Only a few years after taking out that first loan, Shaheen now owns the land under her school, worth 60 lakh rupees, and has provided an educational haven to over 300 children. Having hired twelve teachers, Shaheen is also increasing employment opportunities and demonstrating to the women in her community that they too can succeed as entrepreneurs.

The spark in Shaheen’s eyes shows her enthusiasm and dedication for a better tomorrow. Shaheen said that she couldn’t be more thankful to God and ​leading microfinance bank  for helping her turn her dream into a reality. “This is my first achievement; I still have a long way to go. I want to see branches of Wisdom Grammar School in every city of Pakistan and ensure that children in Pakistan have the right to education regardless of their economic background,” she added.  

In Pakistan, where according to UNESCO only 65 percent of girls attend primary school and 29 percent go to secondary school, Shaheen’s story is an important achievement.  Not only have her efforts saved her family from an uncertain future, her school has made a difference for children whose parents may not have made their education a priority.

As woman entrepreneur, supporting her family on her own, Shaheen demonstrates each day that other women in Sindh can take control of their lives, work hard, educate their children, and lead their families to prosperity.