A Photocopy Center for Pakistan (engl. Version)

Kaleem Durrani came to Germany from Pakistan in 2013 with the desire to work and live here. In Pakistan, he had trained as a dental technician and worked for his father in a dental clinic. He also wanted to work in this field in Germany. First he worked as a dental assistant, later he started an apprenticeship as a geriatric nurse. However, he quit this training after only 8 months. 

In the middle of 2022, the desire to return to his homeland Pakistan ripened in him. The return counsellor of Esslingen district, Mrs. Sabine Pereira, refered Kaleem to Karesly Saavedra Cabrera of Newplacement International (NPI) in June 2022. Karesly Saavedra Cabrera held several counseling sessions with Kaleem to identify his interests and strengths and to work with him to develop a plan for his future in Pakistan. Martha Maha from our partner organization Social Impact helped him to develop a business plan for his business idea.

As a business idea, he had considered offering "meals on wheels" with typical Pakistani dishes in a mobile carriage along the road. To do this, he wanted to pre-cook his dishes at home and then sell them on the move in the city via the carriage. Since there is no regular electricity supply in his hometown, he wanted to install a small solar system with battery storage on the roof of his house to be able to continuously cool the pre-cooked meals in a refrigerator. To learn how to install such a system, Karesly Saavedra Cabrera organized a photovoltaic training session for Kaleem. 
The NPI consultant also put Kaleem in contact with the advisory center of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH in Lahore. In a so-called 'pre-departure call', the local colleagues introduced Kaleem to their local support services and advised him on his business idea. GIZ GmbH's advisory centers are part of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development's (BMZ) commitment to voluntary return and reintegration. 

In August 2022, Kaleem finally left for Guraj, near Jalalpur Jattan. Upon his arrival home, his sister and grandmother found themselves in a difficult situation. In addition, Pakistan was hit by severe flooding, causing him to abandon his original plans for self-employment. Instead of 'meals on wheels', he decided to open a photocopy center where customers could print and copy. To equip his store, he received in-kind support through the NGO Weldo, which is contracted as a service provider of the European Union's Joint Reintegration Service program to assist returning nationals in Pakistan. 

Kaleem's business is going well and he is happy to be back home with his grandmother and family. In the future, he would like to expand his business with additional special printers so that local authorities and private individuals can also print out large-format maps and plans. Additionally he wants to offer women’s trousers in his shop in the future because he sees a good business opportunity in it. We keep our fingers crossed for Kaleem's future plans and wish him all the best!