I once thought my life would never change. Now, my dream of financial freedom has become reality.”

For 38 years old Beauty Begum from Bhola, life has been a tale of tragedy. A victim of child marriage at the age of 13, the marriage was quickly followed by a terrible car accident where her husband suffered grave injuries. Following his operation, he was unable to get back to work. Beauty then decided to leave the Bhola and relocate to Dhaka, to provide better care for her husband and a better life for themselves.

After looking for work in every place she could, Beauty found herself working in a garment factory. Her limited earnings hardly compensated for her family’s expenses and her husband’s medical bills. “When my husband fell ill, we had very little money to spare” – Beauty said.

Cooking had always been her passion, but Beauty could not pursue her dream due to lack of funds. The dream of expanding her catering business became a reality when an officer from SAJIDA’s Microfinance program approached her and introduced her to the program’s interest-free loans for small businesses. With financing from SAJIDA Foundation, Beauty started to expand her catering business and pay off previous loans.

Beauty and her husband have been working in the catering business for 15 years now and earn a good living. Whereas the couple began the company with only five customers, they now serve around 100 people daily.
After paying off all her debts and expenses, Beauty can save around one lakh of taka per year. She has recently purchased a plot of land in her village and has begun constructing a one-story building on it.
Beauty is now living a happy life in Dhaka with her family and has big plans for her future. The most rewarding aspect of her business is when a customer enjoys their food. She intends to stay in Dhaka for a few more years so that her son can finish his education and work independently.