Since the first pilot of the Targeting the Ultra-Poor (TUP) program in 2010 in Bamyan Province, TUP has helped thousands of women heads of households and their families “graduate” out of poverty and join socio-economic networks that they used to be excluded from.  The true measure of TUP’s success, however, is illustrated in this story of one graduate, Sughra, who used both her financial and non-financial gains from TUP participation to

When Del Jan, 54, returned home to Kabul from Pakistan with her husband and children 12 years ago, she was full of hope. She had been looking forward to the freedom of being in one’s homeland minus the constraints that come with living elsewhere under refugee status. Shortly after returning to the Se-Rahi Allauddin of Kabul, Del Jan’s hopes for a less burdensome life was dashed. To read the full story, click here.

Fraidon Ahmadi was not new to business when he applied for his very first micro credit from Mutahid Development Finance Institution. In fact, he was once a wealthy business owner of several famous stores in Kabul until he went bankrupt eight years ago. To read the full story, Click here 

Not too long ago, Nazema was among the poorest of the poor in her village in the Dasht Qala district of Takhar province. She was earning a meager income doing laundry and cleaning people’s houses. She could not afford to pay for stationary and uniform, resulting in her children dropping out of school. To read the full story, Click here 

Fahim and his uncle have been partners in a cart production enterprise located in the Pul-e-Tasadi area of Mazar-e-Sharif. When they started out in this business, they had lacked the capital to further expand it. To read the full story, Click here

Story of Nafas Gul Nafas Gul, 41, along with her husband and four children, live in the Qarabagh district of Kabul province.  Nafas Gul has effectively been the head of household and breadwinner since her husband got shot and lost his leg as a soldier in the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF). Nafas Gul also suffered through her eldest daughter’s struggle with domestic violence in the hands of an abusive husband, which led to divorce and

Story of Mauladad Mauladad, a resident of Kabul province, is a metal smith, who puts his creativity into making electric appliances, such as cooler, boiler, fans, heater and many other metal products. Mauladad’s business is growing steadily now, thanks to the help of Mutahid DFI, a development financing institution. "The loans have helped me a lot, I have taken loans to expand my business and manufacture the products according to orders we get,"

THE STORY OF SALEHA With eight children, Saleha, 34, and her husband were struggling to make ends meet with his meager daily wage income. “My husband worked as a farm hand and his income was simply not enough; we couldn’t even afford to buy milk,” said Saleha. To read full story, click here

Story of Mohammad Ali - A Microfinance Client Since returning from Iran after the Taliban regime collapsed, Mohammad Ali has been trying his hand at various businesses to support his family. As a migrant in Iran for 20 years, Ali gained skills and knowledge in various forms of trade and farming. After quitting his trade business last year, Mohammad Ali started a poultry and farming business on a piece of land he leased for AFN 170,000 per year in

The Story Of Zeba When Zeba was in her early 30s, she had her hands full taking care of her five children, while her husband earned a living as a daily wage worker. Although they were among the poor in Takhar Province, they were not in a desperate situation. Zeba would know because she had experienced desperation when her husband was arrested and later found guilty for murder of his cousin following a family dispute. To read full story click hereTo