Nadera Runs Her Restaurant Behind Closed Curtains
Thirty seven-years-old Nadera comes from Shiwaki village of Kabul. She has 9 children and is also financially supporting 9 more children from her husband’s first wife. Nadera’s husband married her when his first wife became mentally ill and couldn’t look after their family.
Nadera’s husband, who was the only bread-winner at the family, faced many financial difficulties. Therefore, Nadera started sheep husbandry which could afford them a meal for dinner. Unluckily, Nadera was diagnosed with an animal disease which was transmitted to her during sheep farming.
That’s when Nadera consulted with her husband about opening a shop where she will cook and her sons will sell the food for her. Nadera’s husband, who had always supported his wife’s decisions, sold the Sheep. At the meanwhile, Zardozi also trusted her with some loan money and Nadera was able to build the first restaurant in her village in two months.
“I am very happy for opening this place because the villagers had to go an extra mile to eat fast food. Now, they can access it within less than 5 or 10 minutes of walk. I also feel very proud that the initiative is taken by me. My relatives and family praise me a lot for this work. They are asking me to make a space for female customers as well,” exclaimed Nadera.
More than that, Nadera’s hard work and efforts were inspired by her children’s dreams who are very passionate about education and learning English and Computer just like their friends. Jawid, who is Nadera’s older son left school, because he had to either help his father at work (doing small labour) or attend his classes. “Now that my mother opened this shop, I am going back to school in the next month. I don’t know how to thank her,” said Jawid.
Nadera says that she is very happy with her husband and his first wife never made her feel uncomfortable in the house. “He is a very kind man. He has never differentiated between me and his first wife. If it was another woman instead of me, she would have forced her husband to divorce his ill wife, but I feel sorry for the other woman who is helpless and weak. We are like sisters now,” added Nadera.
Nadera’s kindness, creativity and hard work are what have made her successful so far. With the help of business, marketing, and accounting training at Zardozi, she was soon able to open up to new ideas and take risks. As she moves forward, Zardozi will stand with her because this is the talent and potential which Zardozi intends to bring out in women.