In Pakistan, hard-working people like Irum Bukhari, who run small businesses often struggle to make ends meet. They may have the skills and motivation to work. But they lack the resources to help them maximise these skills.
When her husband died, Irum struggled to support her family. In her village, Samnabad, there were limited employment opportunities for women. But she was determined to change that. Irum made the most of her excellent cooking skills to earn an income. She just needed a little extra cash to invest in her small business.
Of course, getting assistance from a bank was nearly impossible. The little income she earned and the few assets she had were not enough to make her eligible for help from traditional financial institutions. Akhuwat’s Islamic Micro-lending, our Qarz-e-Hasna scheme, was the answer to her prayers. Read more and watch Irum’s video here to find out how Irum’s business grew from the small food rickshaw at Shadman Market to her own kiosk.
Our Islamic Micro-lending scheme turns your Zakat and Sadaqah into Qarz-e-Hasna for people like Irum to invest in their livelihoods. They’re able to increase their earning potential and eventually repay the capital, without interest, in affordable instalments.
Through Akhuwat, your Islamic donations over Ramadan work much harder than just a one-off donation to one person. We believe that the sustainable development of individuals and families is at the core of real change. We address the challenges that underprivileged people experience by granting them collateral-free advances, without interest. This is how our Micro-lending scheme gives the most disadvantaged a chance to uplift themselves.
Because our borrowers know that the money received needs to be paid back, they are more responsible in how they use it. They invest it in things that will give them a return and work hard at achieving success.
Akhuwat has a 99% loan repayment rate – the highest in the world! We believe that giving people handouts does not empower them. In fact, it may keep them in a cycle of dependence. Whereas our Qarz-e-Hasna scheme breaks this cycle of dependence to make a positive and lasting impact.
Your Zakat and Sadaqah this Ramadan can support sustainable development by funding Qarz-e-Hasna. To date, we have helped approximately 5 million families, all of whom have repaid their loans and are working towards brighter futures.
Learn more about Akhuwat’s Islamic Micro-lending and how you can give Qarz-e-Hasna this Ramadan.
Akhuwat
Akhuwat provides Qarz-e-Hasna to underprivileged families so they can help themselves out of poverty. Our borrowers/recipients repay only the capital amount, without interest. With one of the highest repayment rates in the world, Akhuwat continues to transform lives one Qarz-e-Hasna at a time. Akhuwat is registered in the UK with the Charities Commission (Registered Charity Number: 1136317).
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