Striving to heal

Tehseen Kousar lost her father when she was just two years old. And she lost her mother when she was just 20. She was raised by her maternal uncle who later on married her to a man.

They had a daughter but the marriage eventually ended in a divorce just after the birth of their child. Yet again, Kousar was on her own with no one to support her.

Bol News spoke to her about the hardship and struggles of being a single mother and how she came out of those troubling times.

While sharing her story, Kousar stated that she was “so heartbroken and disappointed” with her personal life that “it was the darkest moment of my life.

“But then I said to myself I have to become self-sufficient for my daughter. So I started internet surfing to find a work-from-home opportunity. That is when I came across Dankash on social media and I contacted them. They asked me to visit their office so I came to Lahore from Sahiwal in a hope to change my life.”

After the assessment, Dania and Kashif suggested that she learn social media marketing skills, she added. “After three months of training, I joined their internship programme; then I did two to three projects before officially initiating my work online.”

“Right now, I am in a position to provide a great lifestyle for my daughter and it all became possible through the platform I work on.”

Zahid Habib, who used to work at a café on a daily wage of just Rs130, told Bol News that his life was tough. “I wasn’t able to make ends meet. I came to know about the venture through social media. And believe me from that point on there was no looking back. I learned the art of graphic designing. Dania and Kashif were supportive during my training period as I didn’t possess good communication skills. They helped me improve my communication skills by allowing me to attend their meetings with clients, so I could watch and learn.”

Daniya used to convert the documents sent by clients in a font which was easy for him to perceive, he explained. “Kashif assisted me in understanding graphic designing.”

“Now, I am teaching the skills to the newcomers. Our generation should acquire digital marketing skills along with basic education.”

Fouzia, while sharing her life journey said that her husband used to run a shop which was their only source of income. “Due to our circumstances, the shop was shut down and our house got sold.”

They ended up renting a house for shelter, she continued. “My husband was unemployed and it was hard to put food on the table. I was so worried about the needs and upbringing of my four children.”

Through a Dankash video on YouTube, she got exposed to the concept of freelancing and social media marketing. “So, my husband borrowed Rs48,000 from a friend to buy me a laptop and I started training at Dankash. After a month of training, I earned Rs50,000.”

Daniya and Kashif, the dynamic husband-wife duo are the inspiring young entrepreneurs who not only pulled themselves out of hardships but also helped hundreds of individuals through their innovative, digital business ideas.

Through their business strategy, they reportedly have built a profitable start-up and are mobilising the finest talent.

Daniya is an enthusiastic entrepreneur, a gold medallist, published author, success coach and a mother. Kashif is an inspirational digital marketing guru, a mentor, investor and a father.

Bol News spoke exclusively to the duo about their life journey and their business model — how an idea changed their lives.

Sharing the details Kashif and Daniya said their journey wasn’t as easy as it seems. “Our business came crumbling down and we went broke and were stranded on the road within three months of our marriage.”

They rented out a single room in which they lived, they added. “It was very hard to manage our expenses and we had no support from our families and we never intended to seek any support from anyone because we wanted to prove ourselves and show everyone that we can withstand our decisions.”

When we became parents, we realised that we have to create something and own the responsibility to provide a good lifestyle for our coming generation, they also said. “When we were going through all of this, we thought of getting a job to make ends meet but then decided not to pursue the idea. We made the decision to start our own venture that will not only help us but it will also make thousands of lives easier and self-sufficient. We believe that was a defining moment for us.”

Daniya revealed that Kashif already had IT expertise and experience in his pocket and he advised her to start internet surfing regarding freelancing.

“I created an account on e-Lance in 2013. I wasn’t aware of the digital marketing potential at that time. I had very good communication skills which helped a lot in my exploration of the digital marketing universe.”

Kashif expressed his gratitude regarding the supportive role Daniya played in his life during the testing times. “It all became possible due to the supportive and compatible approach [of] my wife. If it weren’t for Daniya, I would have not been able to achieve and succeed in my goals.

“Moreover, freelancing gives you the liberty to choose who to work with, what to work for and how much time to spend in working.”

The best part is, anyone can start earning without having a professional degree and regardless of their age, they remarked. “And there is no upfront investment required to start an online freelancing business. You just need a laptop, internet connection and the required adroitness.”

In the end, Daniya and Kashif urged the authorities concerned to promote and expand the concept of freelance digital marketing across Pakistan so that the people even living in remote areas could provide for themselves and their families.

“Through digital marketing, we can create thousands of employment opportunities. The government should encourage and allocate a budget to elevate the digital marketing concept in our country.”