I’m Nadia Qamar Ali and I founded Ajia Collection in 2002. I have three daughters and I have always loved sewing fancy little clothes for them. I often received many compliments for my skill with the needle whenever the girls wore my creations.

Times were tough for us financially and I really wanted to help my husband out by contributing to the expenses. At the same time, I did not want to do a 9-5 job that would force me to leave my daughters alone. I came up with two possibilities. Teaching or sewing.

At first, I decided to teach. I put in a lot of effort. I even enjoyed it for a while, but the harsh reality was that it did not pay well and ultimately, it did not solve my problem.

I turned my attention to sewing. I could not afford to buy fancy fabric, so I got some regular cloth from the flea market and set to work on the sewing machine my mom had gifted me. At first, I sold my creations to friends and family but what I really wanted to do was to have my own store. A physical store was out of the question because I didn’t have the capital to rent a place. I turned to online selling and realized the need for photography. Once again, I could not afford a professional photography service, so I saved up to invest in a smartphone. And soon enough, I had my own kids’ clothing store. Online.

The store picked up pace and I soon started receiving ample orders. Now, my business is running comfortably and I don’t even miss the presence of an offline store.

As I was in the digital space right from inception, the pandemic did not have a strong negative impact on the business. This was a real blessing and I am grateful for it. Having had no clue about the online world prior to my business, I cannot express fully the joy and pride I feel about having overcome the obstacles and being able to look after my children well.