OPP-OCT discovered
that this growing settlement of Orangi was full of the
enterprising sprit. The most impressive demonstration of the
spirit of enterprises is the creation of employment everywhere in
the lanes; inside the homes there are around twenty thousand
family units, shops workshops, peddlers and vendors. In response
to the dual challenge of inflation and recession, the residents
have invented working family, modifying homes into workshops,
promoting the women from more dependents to economic partners and
wage earners, abandoning the dominant patriarchal pattern with
surprising speed.
OPP’s research
revealed two significant factors; first, there was unlimited
demand for products and services of these family units. Second,
the family units were extremely competitive (on account of very
low over heads and very cheap and docile labor). The working
family units of Orangi were completely integrated with the main
Karachi markets. In fact many units are supplying goods to famous
firms, who just put their labels and make big profits. What is
required is to support their initiatives.
Research further
revealed that the production and employment in urban as well as
rural areas could easily be increased provided the credit is
accessible, as there was no shortage of market demand or
productive labor. But they would not get credit at reasonable
rate, because banks were inaccessible to them. The lack of bank
credit forced them to buy raw materials at exorbitant prices while
they had to sell their products at depressed prices and forego
expansion.
On the basis of the
research findings, Orangi Pilot Project (OPP) decided to arrange
access to credit to these micro enterprises. For this Orangi Pilot
Project – Orangi Charitable Trust (OPP – OCT) was established in
1989 as an independent and autonomous institution in Orangi, a low
income settlement of over one million people. The main objective
is to support people effort in their economic development by
providing credit in urban and rural areas.
