Life in Lahore: Entrepreneurs in Lahore - 2

Life in Lahore: Entrepreneurs in Lahore - 2

Entrepreneurs in Lahore - 2

Amazing people that I have met in the recent months include the nice middle-aged gentleman called Mohammad Ashraf who sells fresh vegetables and fruits from his pushcart in my neighborhood.

What a lovely display - Farm-fresh vegetables

 The first time my son saw the display of his wares from our balcony, his reaction was "Vow!!! this cart looks like a display from Carrefour".

(He spent his childhood in the UAE where most fruits and vegetables are in season the year round at the main hypermarkets like Carrefour, Spinneys etc.).

In his excitement he was only too pleased to run
downstairs and get me what I needed from Ashraf.

The mobile Vegetable business of Mohammad Ashraf

I take this as a great tribute to Mr. Ashraf, whose small one-man business can definitely compete with the largest Hypermarkets on quality and freshness of his wares as well as his superb Customer Service.

Neatly arranged in separate bags on his hand-pushed cart, each and every piece is clean and fresh.

He promises to take back any piece of vegetable that you are not happy with and replace it with a fresh one at no extra cost.

Intrigued by this vegetable cart that has no mess of wilted and dying herbs rather it is very attractive due to the colorful arrangement of glistening,  perfectly shaped pieces of cabbage, pumpkin, tomatoes and crisp bunches of coriander, mint and fenugreek, I wanted to know more about his business philosophy.

Ashraf goes to the Vegetable Market very early in the morning and selects the best produce even if he has to pay a little more. This way he brings the best quality vegetables to our doorstep every day.

He sells most of the stock on his cart in a day. He showed me one piece from the day before that was still quite fresh because he selects his wares very carefully.

The value of honesty and dealing fair in business is the legacy of his father who was also a vegetable vendor.

 

Ashraf knows the value of Customer Service

Ashraf earns about 15000 Rupees (USD 150 approx.) every month with which he supports his young children, who go to school.

His main worry is to find good husbands for his daughters. Strangely he is neither critical of the government nor does he have high expectations of them. He is happy to be able to earn an honest livelihood and appears content and proud of his efforts.

Though Ashraf cannot read English, I am sure it will make him very happy and proud to hear from me what you have to say about his business spirit ... so please do share your feelings which I will convey to him Insha Allah.

Entrepreneurs in Lahore

Lahore is such a vibrant place… in a single trip around town, you get to see so many colours of life in this city. People seem to be at peace with themselves and life. I feel a sense of purpose that emanates from these folks despite their leisurely pace and easy manner.

Having lived outside of Pakistan since the early 1990s, I had succumbed somewhat to believing  that people in Pakistan must be unhappy with their lot.... The talk show hosts paint a very gloomy picture of the happenings in the streets of Pakistan. I cannot shy away from the fact that violence and selfishness has become a way of life for some people, that the value system has eroded quite a bit and while some nations in the Middle East have risen to make a destiny for themselves, we have regressed quite steadily… but something makes me believe in the future of this country. Resilient and smiling, the people of Pakistan are the key pillar on which rests the destiny of this country.  Let me introduce you to one of them who owns a small business selling hot tea from a makeshift stand.

 Abid Hussain : honest, content and hardworking

Abid Hussain is a pleasant man in his thirties. Greeting us with a winsome smile, he offered us hot tea from a large pot. His main clients are the shopkeepers in a market located in Valancia, Lahore and their workers. Abid arrived in Lahore to find work. Desperate to make some money, he decided to start selling tea to the shopkeepers in the market where he was staying as a guest. His tea stall is located close to a shop selling Lahori breakfast… awesome strategic marketing …

Investing in a rickety table, about six mugs of various designs and shapes, a large pot, a gas stove, a tiny gas cylinder and small packets of tea, milk and sugar, Abid launched his small business. 

Abid's customers

Abid makes about 15 thousand rupees a month (USD 150) for his family … two young children, a wife, and parents who live in a village in Sheikhupura. When I asked him whether he felt any resentment towards the people who live in the large villas in front of his tea stand, he insisted that he is satisfied with his lot in life. The most heartwarming was his response when I asked him what should the Government to do for him. He thought long and hard and eventually said that he wants to be a responsible citizen. Even when I insisted, he could not list even one thing he expected anyone else to do for him. A lesson for the whiners…

Well spoken and polite, he surprised me by telling me that he has never been to school. He attributes his strong values to his parents and his Quraan teacher.

Sipping hot tea bought from this tiny stand, I could not help dreaming that one day Abid’s business will grow into a large chain of Cafes. So far his clients only ask for strong sweet hot tea with milk but who knows what tomorrow may have in store for this brave, honest and hard-working man.