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Case Study

The Success Story of Bahrije Spahiu

Ms. Bahrije Spahiu

Ms. Bahrije Spahiu was born on February 23, 1958, in Kamenica Municipality, in Kosovo. She is the eldest of four children. Her father was a teacher and advised her to be well educated. He instilled in her the value that as the eldest child of the family, she would have a lot of responsibilities towards the family. After completing her secondary education in Gjilan, she was admitted to the university, with the hope of becoming a teacher. However, she could not complete her studies.

She got married at 27, and moved to the village of Muqiverc to live with her husband, Haki Spahiu. Soon her family grew as she gave birth to two sons and a daughter. She and her family lived comfortably.

In 1999 civil war broke out in Kosovo. During the war her family stayed at their home in Muqiverc. It was a terrible time. They were always afraid that something bad would happen to them, but fortunately they were safe. During the time of the war they did not have enough food and had to buy food at a high price. After the war they started a new life and started working again.

Gas Station Owned by Ms. Bahrije Spahiu
Ms. Bahrije Spahiu heard about the microcredit program of Kosovo Grameen Missione Arcobaleno Microcredit Fund (KGMAMF) from her neighbor who lived in the same village. She became a member of KGMAMF in 2002. She was facing financial difficulties before joining KGMAMF.

She always wanted to open a small gasoline (petrol) station where she and her husband could work. With a loan from KGMAMF, her dream came true. She got her first loan of 600 Euro in May 2002 and invested the money in milch cow. She got a second loan of 1,000 Euro in March 2003 and again invested the money in milch cows. As her business expanded, she needed more money for her business. She got a loan of 4,000 Euro in December 2004 and adding some savings, she started a gas station. She repaid the loan in two years. After repaying her loans, she has taken additional loans of 5,000 Euro in July 2006; 5,000 Euro in September 2007; 10,000 Euro in June 2008; 15,000 Euro in September 2009; and 20,000 Euro in December 2010. Her loan requirement increased as her business expanded and need for working capital grew.

She is very thankful to KGMAMF for enabling her to realize her dreams and ensuring financial freedom. She has suggested that microcredit from KGMAMF is an excellent opportunity for the women in Kosovo to start their businesses.

Report by: A.S.M. Shahidul Haque