Maham Wafa – Dreams Do Come True!
A returnee from Dubai and a beneficiary of ‘Reintegration of Returnees in Pakistan’, an initiative of the TVET Sector Support Programme
Youth is a time of passion, dreams, and unparalleled motivation. It is an age when one thinks that one can accomplish anything and any goal. But most of the times the harsh realities of practical life strike you hard when you are totally unaware and bring your head out of the clouds to literally ground you.
Maham Wafa was such a girl with high ambitions and big dreams. As soon as she did her Masters in Commerce (M. Com), she wanted to try her luck finding a suitable job or starting a small business abroad. Although her parents could not afford all the traveling and accommodation expenses, they still borrowed money from friends and family and finally managed to send her to Dubai in search of better prospects.
From afar, United Arab Emirates looks like the land of opportunities and many youngsters from foreign countries visit it to try their luck every year. But in reality, UAE, and especially Dubai, has a higher standard of living, is quite expensive, and is not financially conducive for the economically fragile youth visiting the nation in search of job opportunities. The same scenario happened with Maham. At first, she was thrilled to see the development and lavish lifestyle of Dubai but soon she realised that she had to find a job at the earliest to afford the day-to-day travel expenses and costly accommodation in Dubai. She dropped copies of her CV at hundreds of offices and organisations but could not find a suitable job. Similarly, she looked online for certain business opportunities there but that was also to no avail. On top of all this, the world was hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, and UAE’s circumstances were no different. The lockdown further aggravated her financial situation. Disheartened and dejected, she had to return to her homeland with a heavy heart.
On her return to Pakistan, she had to face many harsh questions from friends, family members and even her own parents. She patiently faced all the criticism and never gave up on her dreams. Maham again tried her luck at different jobs but could not find a relevant job. Afterward, she opted to launch a business, but neither did she have enough resources nor the guidelines to initiate a start-up.
One day, while browsing online, she saw a Facebook post of ‘Reintegration of Returnees in Pakistan’ that explained different initiatives for Pakistanis returning from foreign countries. She wrote an email to TVET Sector Support Programme to inquire about any initiative which could help her find a local job or a business start-up in Pakistan. To her surprise, she received a reply telling her details about a training session that would not only equip her with the proper skills but would also help her start a small business setup.
After attending the tailoring workshop and receiving a sewing machine along with its toolkit, she shared “With the help of comprehensive skill training and the sewing machine toolkit, I am planning to start a home-based business which will be expanded later on.”
Apart from her daily jobs, she takes great pleasure in teaching people how to sew. Her life today is a testament to how a simple training can make a big difference in life.
“The best success stories often begin with a failure”.
