Fifteen years repairing phones and fans from a footpath stall; lack of capital keeps it small
A man with a disability in Chattogram learned phone and electric fan repair while working in shops and has supported his family for about 15 years from a temporary footpath stall. With little capital he holds little stock and cannot expand.
According to a Prothom Alo report, a boy in Chattogram lost both legs from the waist down in a train accident at the age of 13. When his father died around 2000, responsibility for the family fell on him as the eldest son. He broke bricks and sold vegetables at times; then, looking for work he could do sitting down, he learned mobile phone and electrical repair by working in various shops, as he had no chance of formal training. About 15 years ago he set up a temporary stall on the footpath beside the rail line at Roufabad in the city. There he repairs phones and electrical items such as fans, and the daily income supports a family of five including his mother, wife and two children. His wife helps by looking after the children and shopping. A neighbouring seller and a regular customer say he is fast, precise and trustworthy and has never cheated anyone. He says, though, that lack of capital stops him from expanding the stall, many customers hesitate because he has little stock, and a lot of money goes on house rent. He feels a house from the government would help him.
Lessons
- 1.Repair skills can be learned while working in shops, and regular customers come from trust and precise work.
- 2.Thin stock can cost you customers, so even with little capital keep a small stock of common spare parts.
- 3.With a temporary footpath stall, housing rent is a big cost; count it separately against income.
We published this with the person's permission, without revealing who they are.
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