Aamer Khattak started his grocery store 20 years ago when he was just 17, with a small amount of capital, a small location and big dreams of achieving financial security.
Today, his Khattak General Store is twice its original size, a mainstay of his neighbourhood in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, and supports his household of 15.
But when the coronavirus pandemic hit Pakistan in February, he was suddenly faced with new costs, dwindling demand and limited opening hours during strict lockdowns imposed in March and April.
“The load [of the losses] fell on our store,” he says, recalling those months. “We had to meet our [household] expenses of food and drink, so the effect was huge on the business.