Shah's Story

When she became a widow at just 40 years of age, Shah struggled to feed and care for her five young children. Though they were willing to help, none of the children were old enough to earn an income for the family.

Shah made the difficult decision to leave her eldest child, her nine-year-old son, in charge of the other children while she took a job as a house cleaner. The income she made was barely enough to put one meal a day into the hungry and tired children who waited for her return every evening.

This daily struggle continued for five years until her son was old enough to help bring in some money. He took a job as a shop apprentice and his wages made things a little easier for the family. Shah was so pleased to have help, but still looked to her future with little hope.

One day Shah met a woman in the market who told Shah about MEDA Trust and how they could help. Shah quickly went to the center where she received her first loan for 10,000 Afs. The money was used to purchase a mobile shop for her son to take care of on his own. Though the business was slow at first, in time the villagers began buying from him daily and Shah's loan to MEDA Trust was quickly repaid.

Since this time, Shah and her family have received three separate loans and have been successful in repaying each of them. Shah is so grateful for the help she received and openly prays for the continued success of these types of programs.