Razya Banu, India

Microfinance inspires Razya to dream of building a new home for her family. 

Razya Banu and her husband both had a hard time finding steady work in their hometown of Kanakapura, Karnataka India. Although her husband managed to get occasional work in the silk farming business, Razya was unemployed. The 28-year-old mother of two went three years without work before her ingenuity led her to take out a loan with Grameen Koota, a microfinance organization in Bangalore, and start her own business.

During her first year, Razya turned a profit. She was able to send her son and daughter to school and furnish her modest home.  Now in her fourth loan cycle, Raza has both a scrap business and a small silk trading business. With each additional loan, her businesses grow and her family’s lives improve.  Since joining Grameen Koota, Razya has opened a savings account, purchased a life insurance policy and helped pay for her brother-in–law’s wedding.  Her success now inspires her to dream of building a new home for her family.