Staff Reporter
Islamabad
Khushhali Microfinance Bank Limited (KMBL) organized multiple motivational sessions for women in Shah Allah Ditta, Islamabad and Gujar Khan to mark both the International Day of Rural Women and International Day of Eradication of Poverty. The aim of the session was to acknowledge the critical role that rural and indigenous women can play to enhance rural development; leading towards eradicating rural poverty.
KMBL as a firm facilitator of micro-entrepreneurs in Pakistan wanted to both highlight the contribution of rural women and teach them further skills through these events. Over 400 women participated in these sessions where they learned livestock management strategies and product development of homemade shampoos, liquid detergents, and liquid hand wash, bath soap and house-floor tiles.
A successful micro-entrepreneur and a famous YouTube celebrity, Shahid Hussain Joya conducted a session in Shah Allah Ditta on how to start a business and to scale it using minimum resources at hand. He believes that the only way for rural population to uplift their living standards and to eradicate poverty is through entrepreneurial ventures. He stressed these ladies upon working side by side with male figures of their families and become equal financial contributors of their households. Shahid Joiya practically displayed the preparation of sellable products like detergent, liquid hand was, liquid soap, tough tile etc and explained how these products can easily be made at home and has huge sale potential in local markets.
He guided the audience how to implement various businesses in their community along with a complete guidance on costing, product development, packaging, marketing and distribution with market feasibility analysis.
Shahid Joiya’s efforts have also been recognized by BBC and Voice of America. The session was hosted by Nargis Nasir, President Rotary Club, Islamabad whereas Haji Iftikhar Ahmad, past district Governor, Rotary Club funded all the ladies present at the occasion for Sehat Khushhali cards.
In essence of these events, another session was arranged by the Bank for rural women in Gujar Khan where Dr. S. Murtaza Hassan ANDRABI, Director, Animal Sciences Institute, National Agricultural Research Centre provided information to the audience on animal and poultry diseases, prevention, treatment, feed and breeding along with types of poultry and their different business ideas. The session was concluded with interactive Q/A session where the ladies enthusiastically participated.
