- Lawrence Road, Jinnah Town, Lahore
- (042) 3631 3186
- Info@homenetpakistan.org
FBLT Success Stories FARZANA CHOHAN
Farzana Chohan, a 35-year-old woman from Musharraf Colony,faced daunting challenges that threatened her family’s financial stability. Married to a tailor and a mother to a teenage son,herhusband’samputationduetoawork-related incident shookt heir lives.
To make ends meet, Farzana began stitching clothes at home, primarily catering to women in her community, family, and friends. However, the earnings fell short of her expectations. To supplement her income, she started teaching young girls sewing and established a stitching centre within her home.
Farzana’s life took a turn when she learned about HomeNet Pakistan (HNP), an organisation dedicated to empowering home-based workers. Through HNP, she was introduced to Financial Inclusion of Home-based Workers’ Enterprises through Business Booster Loan
and Training (FBLT)program.
The FBLT programwas a revelation for Farzana.Many of these women had never dealt with banks, which limited their access to microfinance loans. The FBLT program acted as a bridge, informing and connecting them with these financial resources. Additionally, the mentorship component of FBLT focused on enhancing their capacity development by providing education on business models, bookkeeping, time management, communication skills, networking, and more. This holistic approach aimed to equip them with the
necessary skills and knowledge to succeed in their businesses.
Armed with this newfound knowledge about the importance of recordkeeping, pricing her services competitively, maintaining her inventory, and negotiating with clients, she transformed her stitching centre into ‘Chohan’s Wardrobe, ‘a boutique-style setup offering arangeof stitchedgarments.
Following her Foundation Level Training of FBLT, Farzana began scrutinizing her work methods. Previously, her earnings were absorbed by daily expenses. However, she implemented meticulous record-keeping, documenting each sale and purchase, and monitoring expenses such as electricity,machine maintenance, and drawing material usage.
This approach provided her with a clearer understanding of her finances.Farzana also learned to distinguish between her income and profit, setting aside the latter for reinvestment in her business. The training also honed her communication skills, enabling her to persuasively negotiate fair prices with her clients.
Farzana faced her next challenge in improving the quality of her products. With the help of her savings, she acquired new sewing machines, an overlock machine, stitching counters for her centre and also purchased fabric in bulk for ready madesuits,enhancing the quality of her work.
THE FRUITS OF SUCCESS
Farzana’s efforts have not only improved her business but have also had a positive impact on her community. She has successfully enrolled 26 girls in her centre, with classes running in two shifts per day. As the quality of her work improved, her business began to expand, garnering attention from those around her. To ensure the efficient operation of her growing business, she has hired two employees to assist her in coaching students and fulfilling orders for the boutique. Her ability to create employment opportunities while providing valuable skills training highlights her commitment to empowering women in her community.
Farzana’s hard work and determination paid off. From saving a mere PKR100-250 per month, she now saves PKR 18,000-20,000 monthly. She used her savings to build her own house and four shops in the market, a testament entrepreneurial spirit and commitment
Farzana’s success has not only transformed her life but has also inspired her to dream bigger. She plans to move her boutique to her newly acquired shops in the market and expand her team to include more women from her community. Additionally, she aspires to provide employment opportunities to young girls in her centre, empowering them to become financially independent.
On the personal front, Farzana’s aspiration is for her son to become a doctor.At just 14 years of age,he has already completed a nursing aid course, and she has enrolled him in a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program,which he will join after completing his intermediate education.Farzana continues to save so she can fund his entire 4-year degree through Chohan’s Wardrobe.
Through HNP’s support, Farzana has not only changed her life but is also empowering others in her community. She envisions a future where women are financially independent and have a voice in their familiesandsociety.
CHOHAN’S WARDROBE, KARACHI, PAKISTAN – CONTACT: 0316 1126118
About
Quick Link
Useful Links
Contact
© Copyright Gray Home Net Pakistan. Designed by Mahmood Tariq