I made a loan to a man named M. Ashraf today.

He lives in Pakistan and he runs a store that sells crockery and utensils to people.  One of the interesting things that I learned about the loan is that the wedding season is his busiest season because women often buy crockery to put in the dowry that they give to their husbands when they get married.

Here’s his picture:

 

I chose to support him for a few different reasons.  The most important reason is that he is a father who is trying to support five children.  As a father myself, I know how stressful it can be to try to find enough money to give your family all that it needs and wants.  If I can help someone else to be a better father, it makes me feel good.

I also chose to support him because he’s from the country of Pakistan — which has struggled over the years with violence and terrorism inside its borders.  I always think that helping people in countries that are struggling with terrorism is a good thing because if people have better lives, they are less likely to turn to violence.

The loan isn’t a perfect one, though.  While it will be paid back monthly, it will take 14 months before we get our money back.  That is a little longer than I like loans to take.  And while the social service agency that is managing this loan has a low delinquency and default rate — which means we are likely to get our money back — they do charge interest and fees to the people who they are helping.

In the end, supporting a father wins out for me.  I know what he is feeling and want to help.

#dadchat

 

Written by Mr. F