From farmer to shop keeper

Bah is a 45 years old shop keeper who is married with a 27 year-old daughter who is a nurse.  Before opening his shop, he and his family lived in Rakine state where he was a farmer. It was hard work and his daughter encouraged him to move to Yangoon to be closer to her.

To earn money he decided to start a shop and his VisionFund Loan Officer encouraged him to change from just serving noodle soup to selling a range of grocery items. His first loan was for 100,000 Myan Kyat (US$63) which he used to purchase the goods to sell. He is now on his 5th loan of 600,000 MK (US$377) and makes a profit of 30 MK (US$19) each day.

What makes his shop special? “I have good relationships with my customers and sometimes I give small treats to their children. People come here because they’re like family.”

His Loan Officer also encouraged him to start selling medicines and cosmetics to further expand his business. He generally has a two-week turnover on the medicines and cosmetics so the return is good.

Bah provides help to others from Rakine. He gives advice on starting a business but does not provide financial help, he points them to VisionFund for that.

He is proud of his achievements, “I have done better than I thought. Our house is now built of concrete (we started with a wood and bamboo structure). We have water and power. It’s better than my expectations.”

Bah progress is an example of how managed loans and savings can change circumstances.