Uma and her husband were raising a small family solely on her husband’s income. They were able to make ends meet, but life was definitely tough. Uma owned a sewing machine and knew how to sew. With a microfinance loan, Uma thought that she could start a tailoring business.
"Repaying the loan was easy, I paid off the 50 week loan in only 41 weeks. It used to be hard to pay off the money lender. I didn’t have an income before the loan and now I make Rs.2150 per week. I want to take another microfinance loan so I can make more money, but also because it allows me to help others when I employ them.
The women who work for me help support their families with their salary. I pay them Rs.1066 per month. I am awaiting a second loan and I plan to buy two more sewing machines. Then I will be able to hire two more women from the neighborhood. I am happy about what microfinance has done for me. Now my sister and mother have both taken microfinance loans.
She availed a microfinance loan totaling Rs.5500 and set out with her purpose.With the loan she purchased two more sewing machines and hired two poor, unemployed women from the neighborhood to work for her. She began to get contract work from a tailoring shop in the central bazaar. In the morning the shop would drop off garments to be tailored and they would return at night to pick up the finished garments. Now business is so good that Uma and her employees are also making blouses, trousers, and other garments-- she even has her own brand name that she stitches onto her fabrics.
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