Expanding a Tailoring Business

A is a 32-year old woman living with her husband and three children in Kabul Province. Her husband is a doctor and she is a tailor. A wanted to expand her business and applied for a loan from the First Microfinance Bank, Afghanistan (FMFB-A). With her AFN 150,000 credit, she purchased raw materials, including silk fabric and machinery, and started designing new handmade dresses that she sold at a good price. When her business grew, A trained and hired 11 women to keep up with the demand and expansion. She is still a client of FMFB, receiving larger loans that she has invested in expanding the business and fulfilling orders from an Indian company.


A now has three handicraft and clothes shops in different areas in Kabul. She has a contract with an Indian company to design and export her Afghan-designed products. Her income has tripled since taking out the loan, and she is able to cover household expenses as well as invest in her children's education and save.