Sameera Bibi, the 'tandoor' woman

Lahore: Sumaira Bibi, called the ‘tandoor woman’ by people in her locality runs a tandoor shop to support her family. 

A mother to three children, Sumaira was a house wife. One day, in the middle of her happy, homely life, it was revealed onto Sumaira that her husband who owned a tandoor shop can no longer work owing to a deadly illness. Instead of asking people to help them, Sumaira took charge of the situation and took over her husband’s tandoor shop.

Speaking to ARY News she said, “I thought that my husband desperately needs the medicine and we need to arrange for it so we have to do it ourselves with our hard work. People here used to say that a lady has come here now this shop is going to close down within two days. But thanks to Allah, He gave me this courage and I worked very hard and He rewarded me for this hard work.”

Her two sons help Sumaira with the shop but sadly, had to discontinue their studies to do so, “Our mother used to work so hard and we used to feel bad that we should help our mother so I left my studies and supported my mother but even now I do feel like being able to continue my studies.”

It is women like Sameera Bibi and many others like her who prove that when needed, there is absolutely nothing that a woman cannot do.