Ibu Zubaidah, Indonesia

Ibu Zubaidah is lucky to have the chance to rebuild her business—she’s even luckier to have her life.

People tell Ibu Zubaidah that she’s lucky—she, along with her husband and five children, all came out of the 2004 tsunami with their lives and with minimal damage to their family home. However, all their possessions were destroyed.

Before the disaster, Zubaidah ran a small business out of her home making lukisan dinding (decorative wall hangings used for various celebrations such as weddings, anniversaries, graduations, etc.). Although she employed 15 other women from her village part-time, she never really had enough capital to grow the business to its full potential.

In 2005, Zubaidah attended a projection meeting for Yayasan Mirtra Dhuafa (YAMIDA). About a year later, she underwent the mandatory training to receive her loan for 1,000,000 Rupiah (about $100) which enabled her to invest in some materials and tools. She then began rekindling her previous contacts with suppliers, buyers, and the market stall where she previously sold her merchandise.

Within a short period of time, the demand exceeded what Zubaidah was able to produce on her own and she began re-hiring the women who had worked for her before the tsunami. She has grown her business so much that she has re-hired all 15 of the women that worked for her, some of whom are also YAMIDA borrowers. Now, Zubaidah not only provides employment and income for her 15 employees, she is also able to pay school fees for her children. She recently replaced the roof of her home with new, durable, corrugated tin and has made other improvements to her house.

Eventually, Zubaidah would like to buy or rent a workshop where she can bring all her employees together under one roof. After that, she dreams of opening a shop where she can display and sell her creations.