FALLING IN POVERTY
| A |
bdul Qayyum is a poor man that sells fruits on donkey cart. He lives in Shah Town in union council 58 Piran Ghaib, Multan. He is around age of 40 but looks much more than that. His story is same just like other hawkers and presents a havoc picture of miserable life of daily wage workers. He lives in rented house of only 4 Marlas. He has to pay rent of 600 rupees per month. The area where he lives represents the blunder of mismanagement. The streets are narrow. There is no sewerage and sanitation system. This area also lacks the supply of safe drinking water. There are no metal roads or solings around his home. He is caught up with lot of problems. But these problems do not matter him right now because his top priority is daily income on which his family. According to him, he can afford to sleep without meal but his children can’t.
Abdul Qayyum too have dread full story of life. His father was very poor. He was a daily wage worker. He was father of 5 children and most of the children remained ill due to poor hygiene conditions of home and surrounding. His father tried hard to provide them education. Abdul got primary education and his father can not afford higher than that. His father worked in many unskilled professions. Before his death, he was working in local ‘Limka’ factory as a bottle washer and filler. Abdul was youngest in his home. When his father died, Abdul was in age of 15. His mother died before that due to tuberculosis. His father left no property. Soon Abdul was on roads. With the help of neighbor and his father’s links, he got the same job which his father did. Now Abdul had a shelter to sleep though it was not comfortable. Abdul thought himself very unfortunate that he had not got any skills for business or education. He had to work for 12 hours and was paid 40 to 50 RS daily. This was equal to one US $ at that time. Though this was not enough, yet he managed to save some money. He remained in this business for 6 to 7 years. He bought a cart and started selling fresh fruits. He remained restricted in the business because he often had not enough money to buy fruits in bigger quantity from the fruit market. He says that no one was even willing to lend him fruits. After six year, he got married to a woman who was disabled with right leg and right arm from her childhood. Abdul tells that it happened due to polio and her poor parents had neither money nor awareness to operate her. He has bought a donkey cart on installments two years before and he has to pay 700 as installment per month.
Abdul is now father two children. He is unable to send them school due to poverty. His wife is not able to do any embroidery work due disability but she is very wise and organized lady. Once, his donkey fell ill. He had no money for her cure. An animal hospital is established by a foreigner women at ‘Kikar Stop’ New Multan where animals get treated free of cost. He took his donkey there. His donkey remained ill for two months. Due to this, he was unable to earn livelihood. His wife had some saving that worked for a week. Then he borrowed some eatables from his neighbor shopkeeper but also refused to lend further due to non payment of debt. His family had to strive for four days. He than arranged a hand cart and started selling fruits on that. He passed two months with great difficulty.
He says that it is very hard to live with such low income. He earns monthly not more than 4,000 rupees. He declares his income as Hawi Rozi (non permanent income). He works for 12 to 15 hours daily and moves in whole city even in far places in search of customers. People from corporation and MDA people tease him. Traffic police do not count him among human. Even fruit marketers make frauds. In boxes, fruits are placed on upper side and in bottom they place pill of grass and rotten fruits. He has to suffer from same and has ultimately suffered lose 1,000 rupees.
He has to face burning sun of Multan in summer and chilly winds in winter. He has more expenses than revenue. He says that it is Allah t is helping him; otherwise he had left with no energy to fight with harsh life. He has to pay tax of 450rupees for donkey cart inside city and 150 rupees for outside of city. He has very reasonable question to ask, why so much poor need to pay taxes when rich get incentives and duties and taxes are relaxed on them. What he wants is clean, honorable and honest livelihood that was promised by Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
BEING OWN FINANCIAL BACKBONE
| I |
nformal Business is one the major business that is providing livelihood to the people in local economy. It is small scale business that is started by people’s own investment and informal loaning. Muhammad Farooq Rehmani is a young determined person of age 22. He is owner of cart of ‘Dahi Bhala’ (that is translated as yogurt chat). He is illiterate person of course for the reason of poverty and unawareness. Poverty is major factor that contributes to ignorance and unawareness. Rehmani belongs to a poor family. There are 12 members in his family including his father, mother, three sisters, two brothers, a wife, two daughters and a son. His father is alive and has a donkey cart on which he transports goods from one place to other place. The major thing to note that he is sixties and still compelled to do this activity to ad in livelihood.
Rehmani’s childhood was same just like other poor children who remain uneducated due to poverty. His father decided to teach him some technical skills so that he may be able to earn livelihood in future. His father sent him to a small carpet manufacturing factory in Borewala when he was in age of five. His grandfather lived there. There he learned the skills and also worked as labor. He was given 35 rupees daily as stipend daily. He worked for 7 years there and mastered hand made carpet manufacturing skills. On returning back to Multan, he decided to act as contractor for carpet business. He opened a small manufacturing unit of carpets in his own house where his students not only lean the skills but also work on orders. He made contacts with different people who manufacture carpets domestically. He took orders from Borewala and then worked on orders himself and made other carpet manufacturer involve in fulfilling the demand. He was renowned to submit the carpets against orders well in time. He had 5 employees working for him. He was earning 8,000 to 10,000 rupees very easily. He remained in this business for four years. Suddenly orders stopped. He says that it was all due to the policies of military government. In fact, it was due to child labor restriction, elimination of quota system and pre WTO regime. Lack of orders caused this business to shut down. So, skilled person was again jobless. All of the implements were sold due to very reason.
Rehmani again was thinking to start a new business. With the advice of friends, he decided to start cart of dry fruits, mainly peanut. His friends helped him by providing him informal loan for this business. He work hard for this business and devoted his full time for this activity. In the period of four months, he had saving of 2,500 rupees but he was not satisfied with the output and future of the business. He then decided to have the business of Dahi Bhalas on cart. Again his friend helped him by contributing money. He also had savings from previous business. His family also contributed money. He started new business with the investment of 23,000 rupees.
New business started clicking and customers were becoming loyal to him. After one year he married to his cousin. One year later, he was father of a daughter. He believes that his fortune changed due to his daughter as she happened to be sign of good luck and mercy of God. He started to earn 300 to 350 rupees per day. Now his business is six years old. Due to inflation and every day rising prices of commodities, his daily income has lessened to 200 rupees per day. The prices of material which he uses as input rose but he has maintained the prices of his output. He again thinks military regime responsible for this.
He works for six hours on cart and other six hours for preparing the materials. His wife helps him in preparing the inputs. He has to pay rent of 500 rupees for the place where he stands and 350 rupees for electricity which he uses for lighting of his cart. He also has to pay tax of 350 rupees to government for renewal of registration of the cart. He has loyal customers due to his service. He respects his entire customer and takes care of them. Due to this behavior he has eliminated competition near him. His younger brother acts as helper in evening for the business. His sisters are students of embroidery in various art schools. He is not prepared to send his daughters to schools and send them to Mudrasa though he is planning to send his son to school. He says that it is very hard to make both ends meet and brought up the family of 12 members with the income of two informal business men. Just like other ordinary poor people, he doesn’t know about his right and can not asses his future.
A DETERMINED WOMEN
By: Aftab Ahmad
| Z |
ahida Parveen is an old lady of age 45 lives in her own house that is not well constructed and situated at Bagh e Hussain Colony Piran Ghaib Road. This colony is not well planned and managed. Mostly lower middle income and poor families live here. There is no sewerage or solid wastage management system. People here are self contained and hardly take interest in their own welfare. This area is just like same as other areas in Multan that lack infrastructure. Many plots in colony are still empty due to these problems. But adjacent areas are thickly populated that caused formal as well as informal business to grow up. There is substantial informal economy that is separated from government and has few links with formal economy. Every second house seemed to be place for informal business. Women are much active as they are contributing in income of their families.
Zahida is in the business of dairy farming on small scale inside her house. She has two products, milk and ‘Uple’. She by nature is a ruler. She likes to give orders and want obedience. She thinks it necessary to intervene in every affair of the surrounding. She is a widow with five sons and a daughter. The daughter, Kayainat is adopted from her sister Shahida Parveen just five years before now. She had a strong desire of a daughter that encouraged her to adopt a girl from her sister. Now with Kayainat she is feeling herself young again. She has married her son with her niece. She celebrated this occasion splendidly and made all colony members sleepless for two nights with fire crackers. She now has a grandson, Ali Akbar. She feels very proud about her children as they all are employed. But one point is in her mind that no one is literate. She tired to teach them but no one was interested in education. Now she sends her daughter to school daily.
Her elder son, Sajjid Ali at the age of 26 is illiterate and unmarried. He grows fodder on the land which they acquire on rent. He provides the fodder for their cattle and also sells it. From the savings, she has bought a Motorcycle Rickshaw for his son, Wajid Ali. He operates that Rickshaw from Qazafi square to Piran Ghaib railway station. Wajid is handsome boy and married to his cousin two years ago. His other son, Abdual Wahid is trader of cattle. With the saving, she has opened a Karyana (merchandise) shop for her 22 year old son, zahid Ali. Her younger son sells fodder and pulli on his shop.
Zahida had born 45 years ago in a poor family. Her struggle started as she came to the world. Her parents lived in ‘Andron Shehr’. Her father was an unskilled labor. She never got formal education because it was not accessible to her and culture at that time prevented her parents to do so. She remained in the darkness of poverty and ignorance throughout her childhood. She was marries at the age of 15 with a person who was patient of addiction. Now she came to Bohar Gate in his in laws. She was married to lower middle income family. There was joint family system. She had to live with her seven brother-in-laws and their wives under the same roof. His husband remained jobless due to lack of interest and habit of addiction. Whenever he started business, he lost. All of family property was held by the clever brothers. Due to addiction, her husband often remained outside the home and came after many days. He also required money for his needs. Zahida was very worried due to these circumstances. Every family in the combine system has separate system for cooking. She for some days had nothing to cook. Then she started to demand her husband’s share in the property. They refuse to do so and forced her to leave that house. She got a house on rent. Money problem was still there. She had a small piece of land. She sold that plot of land saved the money. She discussed with his brother to start a business. The idea that clicked in her mind was to sell clothes on cycle in remote areas. Though his husband had flopped in this business yet she decided to do so. Zahida’s son accompanied his uncle in this business. The idea worked and Zahida earn a reasonable income from this activity. With this saving and other money that she had saved from plot, she bought a cow and started to sell milk at her home. She meanwhile she bought a plot in Bagh e Hussain colony on installments. Her in-laws agreed to give some of land just after the death of her husband in condolence. She sold that land and built a house in colony. She then shifted from rented house to her own house.
Her she started to make liaisons. She had now five cows and some sheep and goats. She went in homes of potential customers to ask families to buy milk from him. She also made arrangements to deliver milk at customers’ door step. Now that was her turn. He involved her elder son in the business of fodder. She got a plot of agricultural land on rent and started to grow fodder on that. She sold that fodder and also fulfilled her own requirements.
In time period of two years, number of cows reached to eight. With the saving, she opened a merchandise shop for one of her son. For her other son, she bought Motor Cycle Rickshaw. She also opened a fodder and pulli shop for her little son who was not keen in studies.
She has amazing management skills though she is not a graduate from any business school. Her son who operates merchandise shop bears all meal and ….expenses of home. Other son who has Rickshaw is responsible for pocket money of family. If any one gets ill, it is his duty to bear the expenses. Her son who operates fodder shop arranges fodder for her cows. When there are enough saving from milk and ‘Uple’, they bought cows.
She in this age still works in her little farm house. Her daughter-in-law also helps her in this regard. She thinks her self fortunate and successful after all misery she faced. She says that she never borrowed money from any one. She also states that she had made this progress through her own resources.
UNFORTUNATE YOUTH
By: Aftab Ahmad
| Y |
oungsters are present of a nation and these are often employed in lower wage jobs of informal nature here in Pakistan. Ghulam Farid in the age of 24 is a representative from young generation of Multan and has occupation of painter and white washer. He has many hopes in his eyes for his good future but these hopes can easily vanish very soon. He lives in an ordinary house with lacks what can be aesthetic values. Like other walks of life, young generations haven’t got supportive policies by the institutions. Farid also remained idle for some time as he was unable to find any job. Farid has family of three including his mother and younger brother.
Farid was born on May 04, 1982. He was first son in his family. His father was daily wage worker. His mother was lady health worker. His parents have no understanding and house was center of daily quarrels. His father didn’t like wife’s job because he thought she had to deal with male and it was not bearable for him. Farid’s mother thought that it was necessary to contribute in family’s income. Quarrels continue increasing and his father divorced his mother as he was in age of just five. His father did not have love for his offspring as well. His father did not accept his children and leave them to mother with out any judicial case. His mother was passionate about her job. She also decided to bring up her children. Farid’s younger brother is mentally retarded from his birth. The cure was expensive that was not affordable. His mother had lesser time for children so Farid was not able to get any social or moral education. He was famous run away child in the school. His mother tried to get him back on track and he successfully done matriculation. His younger brother was not able to get education due to disease and was matter of laugh for ill minded members of society. Farid could not continue his studies after matriculation due to poor financial background. He was not sure to get a good job even if he gets higher education. After his education, the economic problem became stronger and stronger. He wandered in different profession. He was unskilled so he could not find proper job.
With the help of friend he went to Karachi, in the bigger market for employment. There he provided his services to different people. He firstly remained on a tea corner shop for six months. He left that job because it was not rewarding. Then he joined a retail store as stock picker. He worked there for two years. He had income of 4,000 rupees there. He returned back home after two and half years. He was not ready to leave his city now as no attractive venture was waiting for him. Here he searched for a job but to no avail. Then he decided to have some skills with which he could earn livelihood. His neighbor was a painter and used to white wash houses. He consulted a teacher to learn the skills of painting and adopted this profession. Muhammad Irshad was his teacher who guided him and taught him the art of painting. In six months and so, Farid started his services. Till now he has the same profession and earning not great but reasonable income for his family.
Farid is unmarried and have no desire to get married in near future. He has chosen a hard for himself. He has to stand hanging all the day and to paint the walls. He says that much energy is required for this job. He has been facing health hazard from this profession as well. A drop of paint while applying white wash can damage eyes badly and he had suffered the same three times.
A SIGN OF PRIDE AND INTEGRITY
By: Aftab Ahmad
| B |
aji Hameedan is well reputed and respected widow living in Islampura. She is around age of 40. She is very hard working lady. She performs many revenue generating activities. She sells milk, she had a tandoor (oven) on which she provide services of bread making, she provides services of gross cutting, vegetable and fruit collector, cotton plucker, wheat cutter etc. She also has some goats and hens in her home. She sells eggs and goats as well. She has some permanent and some seasonal jobs. She never felt sham in hard work. But she is not ready to work in any body’s home as servant and thinks this against her pride. She has now two daughters and no son. Her elder daughter died six years ago due to cholera. Her daughter was a brilliant student as she got very good marks in matriculation. She had a strong pain for this incident. This incident had broken her back. But she was determined to live for her two daughters.
She had a poor background. Her father was a milk-man. He was man of words and a very honest man. He had good respect in good times when standards of pride and respect were not money. His father had four children, three daughters and a son.
She was married to a man who was ‘Subedar’ in army. Her in-laws were well off though her husband was not on good post. She had seven brother in-laws, all on good posts. But they have combined family system they were living under same roof. She had option of living in an army quarter but she did not like to live in small army quarters. There, she gave birth to three daughters. Unfortunately or fortunately, she had no son. Her husband died in an accident when her little daughter was three years old. Now here treble time started. She was women with pride, self respect and integrity. Her in-laws offered her that she could live with them along with daughters in the case that she marries to one of their son. She obeyed promises which she made with her husband, refused all offers. In case of disobey, they thrown all of her family out of house. Her father was still alive and he insisted her to live with him. As she also needed a shelter, so she accepted this offer. Here she started helping his poor father by doing some revenue generating activities. After some years, her father died just after death of her mother. Now she was alone in this cruel world. Her younger brother was in Karachi for earning livelihood.
She started small scale businesses at home like selling milk and pure salt at her home, services of ‘tandoor’ and many others. She also worked in the fields as well. After three years, his brother returned back. He was a selfish and greedy man. After his arrival, he seized house where she was living. He got a house in neighborhood and shifted there. She was also very wise, managed and self made women. She had savings which she was collecting for a very long time. She bought 3 Marlas of land nearby and worked day and night with labors and mason to build home.
Here she started all of her small scale house business. Unfortunately, she did not know much about embroidery. Her two daughters have just completed matriculation. One of them remains ill due to tensions; other has joined a vocational training institute where is student of embroidery and glass painting. Both of girls also help their mother. Now she is in searching for good noble and honest sons-in-law.
She has very long working day. She work 14 to 16 hours a day of continuous hard work. She has no male in her family yet she is very brave to face up the challenges in male dominated world. She also receives her husband’s pension every quarter by army very honestly.
A WOMEN ENTREPRENEUR
By: Aftab Ahmad
| M |
umtaz Begum is around the age of 45 lives in Shah Town. She does not own any property and lives in a rented house. She is in the business of embroidery and sewing of clothes. She by herself does embroidery and also gives orders of embroidery to other women in the town. She then delivers order to exporters who export those products mainly to Italy. But exporters take most of share and she gets very little. She has variable income ranging from 5,000 to 8,000 rupees per month depending upon the orders. She has three sons and a daughter. Elder son is 25 years old is conductor in ‘K.B’ buses. Rizwan, other son is learning art of embroidery in an art school. Usman, little son does nothing but to play all the day. Her daughter Shabana has stop studies as she passed primary classes. Now in age of 10, she helps her mother in house related work. She has family of six members in which only two are independent.
She was born in Shujaabad in a relatively poor family. Her father was a mason. She was grown up in shadow of poverty. Her father was patient of tuberculosis and remained ill most of the time. Her mother was well organized lady. She knew the art of sewing, and embroidery. In the time period of illness of her husband, she started taking orders at home. On the other hand, she was also busy in taking care of her husband. Unfortunately, in those times no T.B dot program was there by government. Her husband remained ill for five years and then he died. His death put a lot of responsibilities on her shoulders. He had to bring up family of six and also have to arrange the marriages of three daughters. She successfully did these tasks. In such childhood Mumtaz remained uneducated along with her sisters. She in the age of 18 was married to her cousin. There was combined family system in her in-laws. Her husband had no business. He collected money to go to Dubai. His brothers and cousins contributed money in this regard. He departed for Dubai to earn livelihood with lot of dreams in his eyes.
Sooner her husband started sending money home. As she was illiterate so money orders were in the name of his brother-in-laws. As advised by her husband, they bought common property on installment. He sent money every month for installments and for house expenses. There were six seven partners in property. In three years, they successfully paid all installments. After four year, he returned home to meet his family and then went back to Dubai for earning livelihood. Her in-laws started cultivating the land. Her in-laws were also owners of land according to official documents. After some years they build a well constructed house on that land. In meanwhile, Mumtaz’s husband was caught by police in a murder case in Dubai. His all saving were consumed in defense of the case. Finally he was declared free from murder allegations but his all money spent on it. After eight years of hard work, he returned home with no money in pocket. When his brother knew that he had no money, they broke the relations with his family.
Now quarrel started. He demanded his share in the property. They refused and said that they have spent a lot to bring up his family. Old men from the family intervened, and they agreed to divide agricultural land equally and were not ready to give any share from newly constructed home. Officially they were owners of land of house. He had very bad experience of judiciary case, so he was not ready for fighting another case. He started addiction in disappointment. Mumtaz’s in law seized home and thrown all of her family and things out of house who was not home any more. She went to Multan along with his family, but his husband didn’t accompany her. He got a room in newly constructed house at center of house with the help of intervention made by respected of family. Now he has placed a lock on the door and is not ready to sell or to live in that home. Though he checks the status of his room bi-monthly.
Here she got a house on rent and started fight of bread and butter. She knew the art of embroidery, so she went to shops and homes to take orders. She became successful in taking orders. Soon she established a network of workers. She gets orders from an exporter from Hussain Agahi who mainly exports embroidery to Italy and Greece. Her margin in this process is lower. Now she is earning livelihood for her family but also helping other women to earn livelihood. She also provides her services as a Dai (lady health worker who helps in delivery cases) to private hospitals and individuals.
A HANDICAPPED IS NEVER A WASTE
By: Aftab Ahmad
| T |
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ere are many handicapped in Pakistan. According to a careful analysis, more than one million people are disabled in Pakistan. They have no rights given as in developed countries of the world. Disabilities often prevent from doing normal course of work which results in inefficiency. But these disables are so keen to work and motivated that temporary deficiency is overcome by zeal and spark to perform the same as by normal human beings. But conviviality of society dies when these personals found hard to make pace with society. We, the most cultural society even do not want to give equal rights to the disables. For them to get education of some prestige is monster task. We lack in quality institutions that could provide the knowledge to them to become respected citizen of first class. In our system of education, it is extremely hard for these guys to learn and get knowledge. For a blind it is not possible to write a paper, he if available can use Braille but devices and technician to use devices are hard to find. Transport facilities are not ergonomically feasible for disables. Jobs also are not available for disables. Even if a disable is equally qualified, he has very few or no chances to be selected. Most of disables remain illiterate. Disables from rich families can afford to get education, but it is not case of poor. They remain dependent on normal members for their needs.
Waziran Bibi belongs to same class of disables. She born in a family of poor. She was normal by birth. His father was a mentally distort person. They lived in far off village of Multan. Waziran got cold in chilly evening of a winter. Her legs caught polio. Her parents to their understanding took her to a ‘Hakim’. But polio could not be recovered. According to her, at that time no hospitals were there and they were unaware of the disease. She in the age of six years became totally unable to move her legs. Her father was a servant to a zamindar. Her mother was also servant in zamindar’s family. Their income was very low and they were living in the servant quarters of zamindar. Her parents got some land by the reforms done by Bhutto but could not hold that land. They live there for first 32 years of her life. She was not married, as society proved to be ruthless. She was not able to work physically as she was disabled. She was also not skilled enough to adopt a profession. But she continued helping her family which ever thing they do at home and what ever she could do. In the course of time, her younger sister was married to a daily wage labor. He hadn’t any family or a house, so he also became the resident of the same house.
After the death of her father, zamindar did not require their services due to some reason, unlanded them from quarter and also from the land they got due to reforms. All family was again homeless. They got a house on rent in Shah Town. Her brother-in-law started doing muscle labor work. Her sister had some know how of embroidery. She started that work. Waziran then decide to get in job of UPLAS (GOHE, THAPIAN). UPLAS are made from the waste of cows and used as fuel in homes of poor.
She gets raw cow waste from a donkey cart man who arranges and transport it by him self for 50 rupees per cart. She can earn from 25 to 50 if weather and luck support her. She have no permanent income as she can not perform this job continuously. UPLAS should be pasted on hard part of lands so to avoid dust and able to dry sooner. She has threat on this business as way to her work place is shrinked by the construction of building. Due to lack of sewerage system, way is getting occupied with contaminated water. She has no legs to travel far to do her business as she uses to crawl. What she want is reasonable respect job. She want to open a tiny merchandise shop. She is looking for a donor.
