Shareefan Bibi owns less than 5 acres of land in Pakistan where she grows crops like wheat, cotton, and others to support her family. Previously, she used pesticides and fertilizers for cotton which polluted the soil and water. After training from the Rural Business Development Centre (RBDC), she learned about producing clean cotton without chemicals. This reduced health risks and allowed the clean cotton to sell at a premium price. RBDC also taught spinning skills which increased income. Now Shareefan Bibi's family earns more money, lives a safer life, and their children can go to school as their living standards have improved.

1. Rural Business Development Centre
KatoRani: An All Women Cotton Value Chain
CASESTUDY
SHAREEFAN BIBI
ShareefanBibi livinginavillage 408 new of Toba Tek Singh ownslessthan5 acre of land.Herfamily
includesherhusband,three daughtersandone son. Theygrow wheatas staple food,cottonandother
minorcrop for theirliving.Ascottonbeingacash crop forthe familytheyproduce intheirsmall land.
Shareefanbibi playsamajorrole inseedpreparation,cottonproducing,pickingandstorage.
Before:She usedtogrow cottonby usingpesticidesandfertilizer.Costof productionwasveryhigh.Soil
and watersourcesusedto getpolluted.
After:RBDC gave an opportunityandawarenessduringtrainingsandtaughtthemaboutcleancotton.
Theygot to knowhowharmful these fertilizerandpesticidesare.SoShareefanbibiconvincedher
husbandto reduce chemical fertilizers.Theirskindiseaseswere undercontrolledandnow cleancotton
can be produced.Cleancottonwassoldat the premiumrate.Kato-Rani alsoengagdwomenin ginning
and spinning.
RBDC developed motorizedspinningwheeland offeredtrainings thisishow the efficiencyincreased.
Nowshe can produce threadby spinningcleancotton value additionbringsmore money.Shareefanbibi
alsogot “charkha” to workwithKato-Rani.
Change inher life:Nowthatshe is aware of producingcleancotton,theyare safe fromdifferentskin
diseases,achingandmostimportantlytheirchildren’sare livingasafe live. Theyare earningtheir
livelihoodinagoodway.She feelslively,motivated,proudandenergetic.She startedhopingfora
betterfuture.
The biggestchange at the communitylevel:Ascleancottoncan be soldat premiumprice,builds
contacts withthe outerworld.Tradersknow that theycan provide themwithqualitycottonand thread.
At householdlevel:Shareefanfamilyisearningmore thanbefore.Herhusbandsupportsherasshe took
a wise decisioninconvincing herhusbandandproducingcleancotton.Theylivingstandardisgetting
better,theirchildren cangetadmissioninschool andtheygetthree timespropermeal.