A Rural Woman’s Journey of Enterprise and Empowerment
By Nadir Ali Shah
In village Baho Jhatial, UC Mashoori, Taluka Bakrani, District Larkana, 57-year-old Rehiman Khatoon is quietly redefining what rural women can achieve when given access to opportunity. A member of CO Roshan (PSC-23) under LSO Soojhro, she lives with her husband, Sahib Khan Jhatial (Aged 58), their son Babar Ali (Aged 23), and their daughter Sawera (Aged 9). With no agricultural land but ownership of their modest home, the family depends entirely on small enterprise for survival.
Rehiman’s journey with the Community Investment Fund (CIF), previously funded and supported by European Union (EU), Government of Sindh and RSPN), began with a PKR 23,000 interest-free loan from SRSO, which she invested in goats and repaid successfully. Encouraged, she took a second CIF loan of PKR 30,000 for livestock, again completing repayment on time. These early cycles built her financial confidence and credit discipline.
Community Investment Funds (CIFs), commonly implemented through community institutions under rural support and social mobilization programs, represent a group-managed, interest-free microfinance approach designed to reach low-income households excluded from formal banking. Evidence from community-driven development models shows that when financial services are paired with local institutions and participatory planning, they can strengthen repayment culture, social accountability, and women’s economic roles.
When Rahiman developed her third Micro Investment Plan, she sought PKR 45,000 from CIF with a new vision. Rather than livestock, she opened a small neighborhood vegetable, fruit, and tuck shop, selling daily essentials and low-cost snacks for children. The decision was not universally welcomed. Some community members doubted that a woman could run such a business. Rehiman ignored the criticism and focused on the work.
Research on microfinance highlights that access to small, well-timed loans enables poor households to diversify income sources and manage risk, especially when funds are used for microenterprises rather than consumption. Studies also show that women’s control over productive assets and income is strongly associated with improved household welfare and children’s wellbeing.
Her shop operates through family teamwork. Her husband manages the stall from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., after which Rehiman takes over until closing at 7:00 p.m. He then travels to Hatri Bazaar and the vegetable market to restock produce and goods. Their son also assists with shop duties and procurement. The shop is located near to their home, so there is no rent burden. On average, the shop holds stock worth around PKR 100,000. Daily sales of vegetables, fruits, and small food items range between PKR 2,000 and 3,000, generating daily savings of about PKR 700 to 800.
Despite both spouses managing blood pressure conditions, they continue working consistently. The village lacks a gas connection, and the household relies on solar panels for electricity. Rehiman repaid the full PKR 45,000 CIF loan on time through her Village Organization (VO), further strengthening her standing as a reliable borrower.
In Pakistan, rural support programs using community institutions and revolving funds have demonstrated that collective structures such as Community Organizations and Village Organizations help maintain transparency and peer accountability, supporting high repayment rates and local ownership. The broader development literature further links community-managed funds with empowerment outcomes, particularly where women participate in decision-making and enterprise activities.
Rahiman now plans to take a small additional interest-free loan of around PKR 100,000 to purchase a freezer and add cold drinks to her product line. Her husband is also exploring an Enterprise Development (ED) loan to help their son open a spare parts shop at Otha Chowk (Larkana), creating a stable income source as the young man prepares for marriage.
Smiling, Rehiman says, “If you have a dream and God gives you a chance, do not step back. Move forward with courage and confidence.” She credits SRSO, her CO, and VO for guidance and support, describing them as partners in her family’s fight against poverty. Today, she stands as a practical example of women’s economic participation, not through slogans, but through steady daily work.
Rehiman Khatoon’s journey shows that poverty reduction in rural areas is not driven by large interventions alone, but by timely, practical support that builds confidence step by step. Her progress from small livestock investments to running a stable household shop reflects how interest-free community finance, when combined with social organization and family cooperation, can create lasting change. Each loan cycle did more than increase her income. It strengthened her skills, improved her decision-making, and built her reputation as a responsible and capable entrepreneur within her community. That shift in social perception is as important as the financial gains. In settings where women’s economic roles are often questioned, visible success backed by discipline and repayment creates new local norms. Her case also highlights the importance of household partnership. The shared roles between husband, wife, and son show that women’s empowerment in rural contexts often grows through cooperation rather than conflict, where enterprise becomes a family strategy for survival and upward movement.
The use of solar energy, home-based retail, and small daily turnover demonstrates how rural families adapt to infrastructure limits with resourcefulness. Importantly, her savings pattern, though modest in absolute terms, represents financial resilience, allowing the family to manage health costs, reinvest in small enterprise, and plan for future expansion. The proposed addition of a freezer and product diversification signals a natural progression from subsistence trade to microenterprise growth. At the same time, her son’s planned business venture indicates intergenerational impact, where one woman’s access to finance opens pathways for the next generation’s employment.
Programs like CIF work best when they remain close to communities, maintain trust, and ensure that financial services are paired with guidance, monitoring, and collective responsibility. Rehiman’s story underlines that empowerment is not a slogan but a process built on access, effort, and accountability. When rural women are trusted with resources and supported through community institutions, they do not simply repay loans. They invest in dignity, stability, and the future of their families.
Read: Empowered by opportunity, driven by determination
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Nadir Ali Shah is an Anthropologist and works as a Regional MER Professional at Sindh Rural Support Organization (SRSO). He can be reached at naadir.shaah@gmail.com
