Shazia Bano, a divorced mother from Lahore, lives with her son and has been running her beauty parlour for the past few years. She offers affordable services such as haircuts, hairstyling, colouring, and makeup—providing budget-friendly beauty solutions to women in her community.
Shazia’s journey into entrepreneurship began after a period of deep personal and financial hardship. Following her separation from her husband, she moved back into her parents’ home. With no income and often going hungry, Shazia applied for her first loan from Akhuwat, our local development partner, to start her parlour. Through hard work and determination, she began to meet her family's needs.
After successfully repaying her first loan, she applied for a second and expanded her business. This growth allowed her to enroll her son in a reputable school—an opportunity that was once out of reach—and to cover her father's medical expenses. Despite suffering the loss of her father during this time, Shazia pressed on with courage.
Today, her business continues to grow, and she is now mentoring a young girl free of charge, passing on her skills to help empower others. Shazia remains deeply grateful to Akhuwat for the critical support that helped transform her life and extends her heartfelt thanks.