TUTIKHAL BREAKS LOCAL NORMS TO OPEN A SHOP
Tutikhal is 48 years old and lives in Qol Qala village of Gosfandi district; she is married and mother of 4 kids. She says “My husband is a government employee and his salary is never enough for the entire family, I have two daughters and two sons all attending school. I always suffered financially and was unable to help my husband in family expenses”. She was keen to have a business and help her family. After joining Nooristan SHG, She attended regular group meetings and received series of training including, Group Management, Microfinance, Business Development Services (BDS) training and Life Skills Training for Entrepreneurs. After completing BDS training she dedicated a room of her house for her business and opened a shop. She says “Initially I took an internal loan of AFN 8,000 from the SHG and my husband helped me with AFN 10,000 to establish the shop, it was believed to be a taboo for women to run a shop in my village, after a few months I was able to prove that I can generate income and I repaid the loan from my income”.
Tutikhal sells groceries, stationary and basic needs of women and children in her village.
Now Tutikhal earns around AFN 5,500 from the shop through which she contributes in family expanses and saves for emergencies as well. She says “Now I am financially independent and I pay for my kid’s stationery and other basics needs”.
Tutikhal says “I am thankful to HiH Af for showing the path to me and other women like me” she added “I am planning to take another loan from the SHG and start selling clothes and products made by other group members here in my shop so that other women will also have income”.