Khalil Ahmed

Rebuilding a broken family business

I am one of four brothers and our father is a farmer who owns a small plot of farming land, but that is not enough to feed our families. We are all married and live in the same house.

My brothers and I learned this work from our elder brother Mohd Ismail. I can make any product by hand and I can cut any design on iron sheet by hand. Noah’s Ark provided a very good facility to our brother Mohd Ismail, constructing a workshop and providing machines. However, he was unable to manage it properly and we began to face financial difficulties.

I had to do something to support my family, as I have 4 children, so I requested Mr. Samuel Masih to create work for me because I had no money to survive at all. Noah’s Ark came to our rescue again, providing me designs to work on and giving me regular work. I created my own designs as well.

A partnership built on Fair Trade values

I was associated with Noah’s Ark for many years while working with my brother Mohd Ismail. Now I work directly with them and the values they hold make it a good experience. They always give encouragement to good artisans and because of this encouragement I’ve been able to get established on my own.

The most unusual thing about Noah’s Ark is that they provide money in advance to buy raw materials and cover other expenses – a practice which is not common here in Moradabad. They also check closely to ensure I am paying fair wages to my workers.

A thriving business and a happy family

I provide regular work to 10 people in my workshop. Since 2009 my business has grown from $1,418 to $75,000. Noah’s Ark also provided me money for machines and a vehicle.

Noah’s Ark runs a free school in our locality, where around 50 children attend.

My wife and children are happy. They are all thankful for Noah’s Ark and its overseas associates for changing our lives.