Power the potential of women and girls

Jhorna started Jhorna Fabrics when her family’s future suddenly fell on her shoulders. Her husband fell ill, and their savings were stolen. She had no income, no safety net — only a skill she’d taught herself: sewing.

“It was the darkest point in our life,” she recalls.

Sometimes, she tailored clothes for her neighbors. The small amount she earned was enough to buy biscuits, fruit, and little treats for her two children. But she knew she needed regular income to provide for her family.

Jhorna joined a village development program and took a short course on running a small business. BRAC saw her potential, and she took out a $50 microloan.

Cautious and determined, Jhorna set aside a few dollars in case her business didn’t succeed. She carefully budgeted every dollar, brought her children to school, and traveled to Dhaka’s crowded fabric market to bargain for the best deal she could find. With her savings and persistence, she stretched her $50 loan into something bigger than she imagined.

Within four days of opening her shop, she had doubled her investment.

Over the next decade, Jhorna grew her small tailoring business into Jhorna Fabrics, a thriving boutique that employs 16 young women, funds education for 10 children, and once welcomed a very special guest: Queen Máxima of the Netherlands. The queen was so inspired that she later sent modern sewing machines and a fashion designer to support Jhorna’s work.

Today, Jhorna Fabrics is more than a business. It’s a safe, joyful space where women can earn, learn, and lead.

“We dance, sing, and support one another,” says Jhorna. “I don’t want a lot of profit; I just want to make things easier for women to be independent.”

With every small loan, BRAC helps women like Jhorna stitch together brighter futures for themselves, their families, and their communities.

Links:

• Support women like Jorna