HDF helps ambitious barber's business take off

Habib Ahmed is a barber who enjoys his work. Not only is he skilled, but he is also hard working. But when it comes to business of any kind, honesty, skills and dedication aren't the only things one needs to really get things to take off. Capital is key.

That's why he turned to HDF's micro-credit program. With a loan from there and some money he had also saved up, he went from trimming hair under a tree in his village to serving customers in his own barber shop.

Habib belongs to a poor family and has always been a barber. He started off going to people's homes in his area of Chak No. 121/1-L in Rahim Yar Khan, cutting villagers' hair against which he was paid in kind at the time of harvesting of the seasonal crops. This payment used to be very nominal and was insufficient for his family to survive.

He decided to step up business by moving his hair cutting business to the bus stop of his village, under a tree with a chair and some hair cutting equipment. But this was also a problem, since the weather, rain and sunshine, meant he couldn't conduct business properly or professionally.

He decided to become a member of the Development Organization (DO) "Taraqqi-e-Awam.". Development Organizations are the backbone of HDF's Project Pakistan model. These are community-based organizations, which are responsible for administering and running the project with the help, and under the guidance of HDF staff.

Working under HDF's micro-credit program, the DO was able to help Habib in a big way.

HDF's micro-credit program is based on the premise that people who really need access to financial resources are the very people who are denied that access by large financial institutions.

The notion that these people are high risk in terms of recovery of loans has been proven wrong by many such programs run all around the world. This is partly due to the fact that the loans are administered and managed by the people in the community.

Not only are the loans available through HDF's micro-credit program accessible, but they are also in line with Islamic financial and banking guidelines.

As a young and enthusiastic businessman, Habib prepared a business plan and presented it to his DO. Looking at his potential, zeal and honesty, DO members approved a loan of Rs. 10,000 to him. Supplementing this amount with Rs. 6,000 of his own, Habib rented a shop at the bus station from where he started proper business.

At present, Habib's is the only shop at the bus stop, which is fully furnished and equipped and has become a center of attraction for the public. It has two baths, where hot water is available, two chairs and one water heater besides other hair cutting equipment. Habib has also employed another person to meet the requirements of the expanded business.

Habib is a well-mannered and good professional. His good dealing attracts customers and so he remains at work all the time. And with the help of HDF, he has been able to take his skills and professionalism to a level that not only benefits him personally, but also helps his family financially, while providing an important service for his village.