A Collection of Success Stories of the Disadvantaged People of Bangladesh Edited by Anirudha Alam

KULSUMSAND KARIMS

A Collection of Success Storiesof the Disadvantaged People

Chief EditorSaiful Islam Robin

EditorAnirudha Alam

withSM Shahidul Islam

Sharif Ahsanul Kabir

PhotographRubaiyat Asif Iqbal

Anowarul Kader

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BEES (Bangladesh Extension Education Services)

KULSUMS AND KARIMS (A Collection of Success Stories of the Disadvantaged People)Chief Editor: Saiful Islam Robin Edited by Anirudha Alam Published by

Information & Development Communication (IDC) Cell, BEES (BangladeshExtension Education Services), House 183, Eastern Road, Lane 2, New DOHS,Mohakhali, Dhaka-1206, Bangladesh; E-mail: [email protected],[email protected]; Website: http://www.bees-bd.org Designed & Printedby Dhrupadi, 31/1 Purana Paltan, Dhaka-1000 First Published: September 2006,Ashwin 1413

Price: 250 Taka; US $ 12

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, or translated in any form or by any meanswithout written permission from the Editor or publisher.

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To the Kulsums & Karims,the destitute & disadvantaged people, who

have been struggling to attain the high water mark of success in

making themselves self-reliant,and contributing to nationalsocio-economic upliftment.

ContentsForeword 7

Preface 9

Porisker's Determination to a Vision 13

Khaleda Wins over Negligence 19

Halima Finds Way to Survive 25

Sheuli Turns to the New Horizon 31

New Life of Abul Kalam Azad 39

Smiling Face of Shahanara:

A Downtrodden Woman 43

Moyna's Miseries Gone by 49

Perseverance Brings Ataur a Bright Future 55

Happiness in Lalbanu's Family 59

Abu Ashraf Makes it a Success 63

Raushan Ara becomes Self-reliant 67

Contents

ForewordBEES (Bangladesh Extension Education Services), a non governmentalorganization, has been engaged in social development and poverty alleviationprogramme in Bangladesh having a vision of ensuring a just society where menand women together can enjoy higher and sustainable standard of living. In linewith its vision of a society based on self-reliance and sustainable economy, BEEShas always been forward with its multifaceted development programmesencompassing mainly the disadvantaged and destitute group of people in oursociety. The poor and downtrodden unskilled people particularly the women-the most neglected section of the society being the target group of BEES, havebeen obviously focused in its programmes.These neglected group of people arevery much known to us, the well-off class of the society. We undermine them inmany ways, define their lot without sympathy, and they live around us beingknown as poor and hardcore poor whom we are naming as Kulsums and Karimsto give it a common name for our publication.

BEES has long been engaged in the field of social development with a series ofprogrammes targeting to ameliorate the sufferings of the Kulsums and Karims.Micro-finance, Poultry and Livestock, Education, Health, MCH-FP and Nutritionare some of the programme components that BEES has been implementing indifferent parts of the country covering its target people. The very vulnerablegroup of people who are prominently known as Kulsums and Karims in oursurroundings are being benefited in many ways with the implementation ofvarious programmes. Various development initiatives adopted to the changedsituation over the last 30-year have been undertaken by BEES to bring aboutchanges in their lives who are termed as Kulsums and Karims. But BEES realizesthat poverty alleviation or reduction is a very complex task. Equally with longexperiences, BEES, with its limited resources, has been contributing tirelessly tobring about a change in the lot of the poor and destitute people particularly thewomen, who are at the risk of extinction losing all of their resources. With thecooperation and help rendered by BEES with its credit plus services throughSeba Package, a markable number of disadvantaged people have been able tochange their lot. This publication is a documentary having a compilation of aseries of success-cases while it reflects the facts how the Kulsums and Karims in

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the society have been able to change their lot being guided and directed by thedevelopment initiatives of BEES. Kulsums and Karims is addition to our firstpublication Kulsums in the year 2004 while the cases regarding the success ofmany destitute women in changing their lot were documented. But BEESrealizes that there are the male people also maintain the same margin ofeconomic crisis, and they should also be highlighted as they are being coveredin various programmes having a markable success to be highlighted to others.

Thanks to them who have worked hard in the various stages to bring thispublication into light. I also take the opportunity to convey my sincere thanksand gratitude to all our donors, partners relevant stakeholders, and the staff andall the members of BEES for their support and cooperations.

Finally, I hope this effort to publish the case study on the success of Kulsums andKarims will inspire others in their struggle for survival and a brighter future.

21 August 2006 Saiful Islam Robin

Executive Director

BEES

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Preface

BEES believes that poverty is not only due to lack of income or employment butalso a complex syndrome manifested in a variety of dimensions. Hence, BEESeffort is to promote income or employment generation through differentdevelopment initiatives. In this line BEES strives to bring the destitute and thedisadvantaged women and men under its development umbrella forminghomogeneous groups to facilitate a sustainable change within the societythrough social as well as economic emancipation. Under this developmentprocess BEES has had its satisfaction as a markable number of the poor peoplehave been able to get rid of the vicious cycle of poverty. There are many morereferences among the BEES beneficiaries who have become the examples ofsuccess in the society being guided under various development drives of BEES.

Kulsums and Karims is a compilation of case studies on those who have achievedsuccess in their hard struggle in life to shelve the curse of poverty and begin tomove to a new horizon of hope and glow of light. These people, whom we arenaming as Kulsums and Karims because of their poor economic and socialstatus, represent the millions belonging to the same strata of life. These peopleare lagging due to want of food, clothing, shelter, education and health. Theyhave no place and position in the society. They lack power to speak out of theirsocietal rights.These are the very common sufferings of the Kulsums and Karimsbecause they don't have enough money to live on and they lack of getting loansfrom financial institutions without collateral security. This is an impediment ontheir way of becoming self-reliant through income generating activities. Like theeconomic crisis the Kulsums and Karims are not free from the societaldiscrimination. Deprivation and oppression of the women folk in the name ofreligious and social values is still very much frequent. In reality they don't haveequal social and human rights.

Under this grim scenario BEES, being an NGO, has been working for a long timeaddressing the disadvantaged section of the population especially the women,children and men in different parts of Bangladesh to ameliorate their suffering

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by providing them with loan, life skill training, advice and endeavouring toreduce their poverty through income generating activities. The different 11success stories contained in this Book echo the same spirit of the characterswhile they make it clear about their sufferings and finally become self-reliantbeing provided with the development assistance of BEES.The characters upholdtheir sufferings that they used to feel extremely undermined as they had beentreated like beggars only for their poor economic condition. Even they used tofeel their life as burden as they couldn't arrange food and other necessities fortheir children and the family. Similarly the cases share the secrets how thecharacters finally got rid of their pains and sufferings being addressed by thedevelopment drives of BEES. Not only BEES has provided them with the creditfacilities, rather it has given them the direction to utilize the money effectively.Imparting various life skill training and orientation of different developmentprogrammes are the key means that have guided the characters of this Bookachieving a stable condition in their families and in the society. As PoriskerBegum articulates that it was not a matter of a day rather gradually she hadattained the eligibility for taking the loan from the samity. Activating its micro-finance services by means of group formation, regular courtyard-session,training and orientation, BEES has stimulated their zeal for economic and socialemancipation. Besides Micro-finance Programme, Seba Package ensuring creditplus services as well as Human Resource Development & Occupational SkillsDevelopment Programme are in the fold of BEES which have guided thecharacters in this Book achieving the target of poverty reduction.

In the case-study aspects like difference between previous and present incomeand amount of expenditure, savings, life-status, dimensions of incomegenerating activities, promotion of perceptions to be self-reliant, potentialgraduation due to social and economic empowerment, achievement in thecontext of desired goal and future initiatives, awareness growing abouteducation, re-productive health, gender equity, environment conservation,nutrition, healthcare, etc have been highlighted. It has been very evidentlyreflected in the cases that the well off families did not care for these characterssince they were very poor. As some of the characters disclose that nobody usedto invite them to any social event like marriage and other ceremonies.They hadno say in their community; neither anybody cared for their opinion in any social

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event. They remained neglected and deprived from the community even withthe close relatives. But when the community has found these people self-reliant,income earning, standing on their own foot and continuing with progress inlivelihoods like food, cloths and they now have some skills on reading andwriting, their community has started to honour them and their presence indifferent fora. The income earning successes with the help of BEES has changedthe lot of these characters tremendously, and they have become enthusiastic,active and participatory in their family and in the community decision-makingprocess and other social events. The Book reflects light on these issues veryvividly while it also has become a documentary of the fact how these charactershave become morally high enough to speak out their socio-economic rights tothe local level bodies and to the community leaders. They now hold the standand courage to inspire others to struggle and fight for their rights with hardworking, so that they also can be successful to stand on their own foot leavingbehind their identity as Kulsums and Karims.

Any suggestion or opinion for further enrichment of the programme in the lightof these case studies will be highly appreciated. We sincerely wish this Book willbe a rich document to inspire others to change their life pattern. We hope,development activists, researchers, sociologists, academicians and planners willfind this publication of some use for guiding towards a pragmatic social change.

21 August 2006 Anirudha AlamAssistant Director

(Information & Development Communication)BEES

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13

Porisker's Determinationto a Vision

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I’m now economically better of than ever before.There is no scarcity of food andcloth in my family now-a-days. Now I've a cemented floor tin-shed house to livein.Whereas, I had to pass days in acute poverty and starvation with my husbandand children. During rainy season, water used to pour inside my house, a shedbuilt with only six number of C.I. sheets. With the little income of my husband,our days somehow passed by.

Porisker Begum is a 36-year old woman, stands in front of her house having a bigsmile. She smiles on her happiness wining a tremendous fight over poverty.Porisker Begum is a group member of Gokul Nagar Mohila Samity of BEES inNarsingdi. Gokul Nagar, a small village lacking any sign of development andurbanization, is situated in Raipura upazila under Narsingdi district inBangladesh. Agriculture is the main occupation of the village people although asmall number of them are engaged in some other petty jobs. Majority of thevillagers live below poverty line though there are some well to do farmers alsoliving in the village.

Md. Kabir Hossain, husband of Porisker Begum, is an irregular helper of bus-service.They have four daughters and a son.The children were not in the habit ofgoing to school. Their position in the society was very low. Porisker Begumwished to bring a change in their distressed condition. But she couldn't find anyvisible way open out this economic impasse. Just during this condition of thefamily, their neighbour Bilkis Begum gave her direction about a new way, a lightof hope, to become member of Gokul Nagar Mohila Samity (Women'sAssociation) of BEES.The samity aims at bringing sustainable changes in the livesof the poor, illiterate and unskilled people especially the women by empoweringand enhancing their socio-economic capacities through Rural DevelopmentProgrammes. The samity members also pursue multidimensional programmeslike Micro-enterprise, Poultry and Livestock, Agriculture & Social Forestry,Education, Health, MCH FP, Nutrition, Urban Poor Development and so on.

The idea moved Porisker Begum immensely. She went to BEES office and thuscould do something with a view to reducing poverty of the family. She alsodiscussed with her husband about the matter. Taking consent from thehusband, she joined Gokul Nagar Mohila Samity. Thus she began her new life.

KULSUMS AND KARIMS

I've no pain but only hope and dream.

Porisker Begum says, "In my days of hardship, the staff of BEES encouraged me alot by advising and helping me on many facilities of becoming a samitymember. Completing all the formalities I became a member of the Gokul NagarMohila Samity with full confidence", Porisker Begum narrates the story of herbecoming a samity member. Becoming a member of the samity Porisker Begumstarted to deposit her savings in the samity. Maintaining all other formalitiesPorisker Begum took the first loan of Taka 3,000 from the samity. She narrates,"Adding my loan money with my hard work I managed to buy a cow.Then therewas one cow with a calf in my shed. I had a future plan to build a diary-farm bymy own". Porisker Begum started stepping into a new dream of brighter future.By selling cow-milk only, she started earning Taka 3,750 per month. Day by day,the calf was also becoming bigger in size. Porisker Begum was very consciousabout taking care of the calf and the cow as she got the training and advice ofcow rearing from BEES. The loan from BEES helped her like anything inpurchasing the cow. She opines, "It's not a matter of day rather gradually Iattained the eligibility for taking this loan gradually". Joining the Samity, she firstaccumulated saving in the collective fund. When an amount was saved afterdepositing little by little, she applied for a loan for the first time.With this moneyshe bought a cow. After fattening the cow, she sold it. This brought her a profitto the margin of Taka 2,500. Meanwhile, she reimbursed the loan money andtook a loan of Taka 5,000 for the second time.

With the second loan money, Porisker Begum took agreement of a piece of land.The couple along with their children started working very hard on the land andwith great toil produced paddy, bean, various kinds of kitchen vegetables andsweet pumpkin. They earned a lot of money by selling all these in the market.This brought solvency in the family and new dresses of children replaced the oldand shabby ones, and arrangements were made for the education of children.At this point her two daughters started going to school. After paying back theloan, she got a loan of Taka 8,000 for the third time.

With the third loan Porisker Begum bought a cow, and selling milk much wasearned. Again she sold the cow and the calf and further bought a cow with a calf.It became easy for her to repay the loan by selling the cow milk. In this waythrough repeated buying and selling of cows and calfs, Porisker Begum became

15Porisker's Determination to a Vision

able to earn some extra money with which she could bring some change andprogress in various spheres of the family. She now owns a sanitary latrineincluding Tubewell in her home. All the members of the family now enjoy abetter life style.

Porisker Begum took a loan of Taka 10,000. As she was always conscious andkeen in repaying loans timely it became possible for her to take further a loan ofTaka 12,000. After getting the loan, she again took agreement of a land. Cow andpoultry rearing side by side taking land agreement and hard labour done by allof her family members has brought remarkable success for the family. Nowthere's smile of happiness in the tired face of Porisker Begum. That is why shecan utter, as to family level, "I've no pain but only hope and dream. Economicprosperity has been followed by peace and happiness in my family". Thedifference is clearly stated by the following comparative observation of theearning and expenditure of the family at present:

Monthly income after being a member of BEES:

Source of Income Amount (Tk.)

Selling of Cow Milk 3,000

Poultry Rearing & Selling of Eggs 4,500

Selling of Vegetables 1,000

Total: 8,500

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Monthly expenditure after being a member of BEES:Sector of Expenditure Amount (Tk.)

Food 4,600

Clothes 1,325

Health 950

Education (1 Son + 1 Daughter) 560

Recreation (Electricity Bill for TV) 275

Others (Electricity Bill) 150

Total: 7,860

KULSUMS AND KARIMS

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Before becoming a member of the Gokul Nagar Mohila Samity, Porisker Begumhad no personal income. With the income of bus helper husband, she with herchildren used to lead a very poor and sub-human life. But now Porisker Begumis not merely a housewife. Now she is also playing a dominant and guiding rolein changing the poverty-ridden condition of her family.

BEES not only gave me loan but also helped to sharpen my ideas and workingskill through imparting trainings at different times. Earlier I was an illiterate andrather blind in spite of having eyes. But now I can read and write. I can put mysignature and keep accounts. Instead of negligency now I get importance in thesociety. It is not enough to take a loan, rather more important is its proper use inbusiness and cash profit. And this is difficult without the cooperation of myhusband and family members. Money is not everything for the happiness infamily. But in utter need of money, I see bleakness before me but morally onecan boost up if there is provision for food, cloth and shelter including someready cash. In spite of heavy toil in the family, now-a-days, I don't becomedisheartened. I shall go ahead with the mental strength that I have receivedthrough loan and constructive advice becoming a proud member of BEES-runsamity.

Porisker's Determination to a Vision

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Khaleda Wins over Negligence

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"I and my family members were just the persons to be teased by our communitypeople as my family had been suffering from food insecurity, hunger andstarvation", says Khaleda Begum. Khaleda Begum is 28 years old. She was one ofthe thousands of housewives in the area who were struggling to live an ordinarylife with food, clothes and other basic amenities for their families. Khaleda is amother of two girl children. Her husband is Kazi Tofazzal Hossain of Malaipurvillage under Mahadevpur Upazila of Naogaon District.

Being neglected for a long time, I just became extremely sensitive and frequentlytried to avoid relatives and peer groups. I used to remain unenthusiastic, low andgloomy to the future of my life due to the hunger and starvation in my family. Iused to feel extremely undermined as I had been treated as like a beggar only formy poor economic condition. Even then, I felt my life as a great burden as Icouldn't arrange food and other inevitable necessities for the children and otherfamily members as I had no earning. However, I waited and dreamed for theopportunity to prove myself enough competent by my own income earning andprayed Allah to have such an opportunity.

In my poverty-ridden past days, when my family and myself were at the brink ofdemise from hunger and starvation, I heard of an organization named BEES withprogrammes for providing skill training, primary health care and loan amongthe destitute people. I found them and applied there to be a member. Theybecame kind enough to make me a member and trained me according to myinterests and capacities for income generation.

Being a BEES-run samity member Khaleda Begum got the scope to be trained onvarious income generating initiatives. Skill development training from BEES andthe loan gave Khaleda Begum the opportunity, courage and technical know-howto be a successful and sustained income earner through entrepreneurship orsmall trades. She was seemed to be an example for successful entrepreneur likea 'role model' who could be followed for enabling one similar to meet herminimal needs for the livelihoods in the usual class-standard in the community.

With skill training on poultry rearing, diary and fish cultivation and having a5,000 Taka loan from the Samity (BEES), Khaleda Begum first started a mini

KULSUMS AND KARIMS

I want to construct a new house with sufficient space for improving our standard ofliving. I want to make my children educated enough to get honourable job.

poultry farm. Khaleda Begum started to earn a good amount of income byselling eggs and poultry. She earned a good amount of money with poultryproducts selling locally. With the second loan of Taka 7,000, Khaleda Begumpurchased a cow and earned money by selling milk and again the demand wasgood and she started to earn a fair amount. With the 3rd loan of Taka 9,000, shestarted a small fisheries and profited well. Khaleda's fourth loan was Taka 12,000.She infused necessary money to her running business to make them morebeneficial with more investments. Since then, all the three projects have beenrunning with more profits. Thus Khaleda Begum has stood on her own feet foreconomic self-reliance and confidence which has fulfilled her dream ofsufficient income earning for mitigating the hunger and starvation in her familyfor ever and to drive the family for prosperity.

After starting income earning with BEES support, Khaleda and herfamily now earn as much as Taka 10,000 per month with poultry, cowrearing and selling of milk and other trade, and spend about Taka 8,000.Thus her family can spend more to improve their livelihood status likeincreased spending on quality food, dresses and health, even forrecreation purposes! She has increased spending on children educationand health substantially and she is now capable to save a handfulamount of money to mitigate household volatile food insecurity incrisis like with scarcity and joblessness in the area.

Apart from the loan received from BEES, Khaleda Begum has received healthservices under Seba Package from BEES for her and the family. She has also beengiven vegetable seeds for kitchen gardening to get essential vegetables infamily food and also for income earning to an extent. Emphasizing on theimportance of personal and domestic health and hygiene maintenance,Khaleda Begum has received assistance for sanitary latrine from BEES and alsothe necessary information regarding many essentials for healthy life. She alsohas received a number of essential life skill trainings and awareness packagesfrom BEES including those of different skill development trainings. In the way,then Khaleda Begum is seemed to be not only capable of being able to face thelife in her own through successful income earning and to spend those for herfamily for optimal food and other essentials, also she holds the capacity to save

21Khaleda Wins over Negligence

a significant amount of money to be used in future crisis and to create someassets for the family.

Now Khaleda's husband seems to be more inclined to her than before. He hasjust turned himself not to be harsh with her that he used to do earlier. AsKhaleda Begum has become a successful income earner, she has now acquiredbetter position to be a decision-maker in her family and in the community.Understanding with the husband and other family members is seemed to beaccelerated tremendously.

Before Khaleda Begum was socially neglected, left-out and almost isolated asbecause she was none but a poor woman. Her opinions rarely carried values inher surroundings. But when the community has found her successfultransformation with labourious struggles, self-reliant, income earning, standingon her own foot and continuing with improvement in living standards, hercommunity has started to honour her.

Taking loan from BEES and with their advice and following their ways, KhaledaBegum has attained in prosperity in her family. With sustained and progressive

22KULSUMS AND KARIMS

income earning activities, she has become an honourable person in her societyas now she not only runs her family, rather she can help others in need with herknowledge and minimal cash as loan. As she is now an income earning person,she has acquired a degree of decision-making authority in her own family andamong the families known to them and among their relatives. As she is now aworking lady, her opinion has become important to the community and to thepeer groups. Her social status thus has been changed with her economic status.Nobody neglects her, instead likes to talk and mix with her. She now finds thatwith her progressive uplifting in economic generation with IGA, she and herfamily are now acquiring dignity, honour and respects from the communitywhich her family never enjoyed in their lives before.

Income earning successes with the help of BEES has changed Khaleda Begumtotally and she has become enthusiastic, active and participatory in the familyand community decision-making and in community events. She has becomemorally high enough to speak out her rights to the local level bodies and to thecommunity leaders. She also inspires others to struggle and fight for their rightswith hard working, so that they also can be successful to stand on their ownfoot.

Khaleda Begum still dreams for more prosperity in her IGA. "I want to constructa new house with sufficient space for improving our standard of living. I wantto make my children educated enough to get honourable job", Khaledadiscloses her dreams. She wants her entrepreneurship would be everexpanding and make logical profit which she wants to earn by hard labour.Thus she wants to live an honourable life with her family in the communitywhere she lives. She wants her success stories to be disseminated among theothers who are in crisis in the vast rural areas for poverty and famine. Shedesires with appropriate income earning activities all the people of hercommunity should be healthy, sound and creative with optimal food and otherbasic amenities to match unprecedented greenish paddy fields of Naogaondistrict.

Khaleda feels that her family's prosperities are the result of the cooperation fromBEES. She expects that continued help and intervention from BEES can give her

23Khaleda Wins over Negligence

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and other similar women to improve their livelihood standard with incomeearning and for their struggle to be self-reliant.

I am extremely grateful to BEES and workers of BEES for the transformation ofmy life. I thank BEES for helping me translating my dream into reality. I believevery strongly that BEES is in position to implant dreams for continued progressand prosperity for the deprived and poverty-stricken people in need. I hope allothers capable to act like BEES to come forward for mitigating the hunger,starvation and century long disgrace and dishonors for the ever poverty-riddendestitute population in the vast rural areas.

KULSUMS AND KARIMS

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Halima Finds Way to Survive

Madhobpur upazila under Hobiganj district is ornamented with theunprecedented scenic beauty of the evergreen tropical Bangladesh at the hillyand densely vegetated frontiers of Tripura and Karimganj, Assam of India. Underthe scenic and spectacular natural beauty, only a few people are enjoying theirlives with affluence. However, most of the population have very little means toeven procure their daily minimal food and they live in the world whereeverything is precious enough except their lives, and they are simply unable toearn to maintain their minimal household food security and other basicamenities.

Halima Begum, 35 years old, is one of the neglected members of the society.Solim Mia, the husband of Halima Begum, is no other exception as a familyguardian of these vulnerable groups. This family, like others, was involved in thestruggle of livelihood but couldn't arrange anything better than doing the jobas day labourer. They don't have any child.

BEES has been working in the poverty-stricken area of Modhobpur upazila.Along with their other services, they have been attempting poverty alleviationof the poor of the prioritized groups through disbursement of micro-credit,initiating their savings and empowering them with community based skilldevelopment training. With the efforts of BEES, there had been opportunitiescreated for the distressed people to be developed as small entrepreneurs,traders or something else for their minimal income earning to carry on theirlivelihood and to combat their hunger and starvation through mitigatingdistorted food security in the household levels.

With the support from BEES, Halima could do something based on theenormous possibilities within her as a human being. This is a chronicle ofsuccess in the relentless struggles for mitigating hunger and may be somethingmore than that. Before participating with BEES, Halima's family, like most of theother families in rural Bangladesh, in the region of Hobiganj district was passingtheir livelihood just hand to mouth. They haven't had any household land oftheir own and they used to live in the land of their relatives. The situation was acontinuous matter of frustration for her and the family and they used to blametheir fate and to seek divine help to get rid of their extreme miseries. She used


I hold a vision that with appropriate income earning activities all the people ofmy community should be healthy, sound and creative with optimal food and

other basic amenities to match the extreme beauty of the indigenous Sal, Teakand other evergreen forests of Madhobpur of the Hobiganj district.

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to think of her committed possible sins, for those creator was not enough kindto bless her with a handful of happiness!

Halima's monthly income earning was about Taka 800 from low-cost daylabouring and vending clothes. However, her monthly family expenditure was atleast Taka 870. And this expenditure was only for managing very low-standardquantity of food and clothing.

Being associated with BEES my first training was on social awareness, followedby a goat rearing training. While trained in goat rearing, I could understand thepotentials of the goat rearing and in 1st phase, I took Taka 1,500 as loan fromBEES and purchased a goat. That goat gave 3 kids in one time in a year thenmade the number of my goats to 4 and that made me immensely interested.Thesituation made me interested to take Taka 4,000 as the second loan to purchaseother two goats and also I commenced the vending business with cloths. I tookTaka 6,000 as loan in the third phase. Now I own 13 goats in total and I amcapable of selling 6-7 goats per year.

While receiving skill development training, it became apparent to Halima thatthe goat rearing is safely profitable. So, she decided to purchase goat, even bytaking loan from BEES or any other organizations while she ended her training.However, BEES granted her loan and she started her new life with honour,dignity and self-confidence with income earning.

Halima now not only has minimal income earning to mitigate her poverty,starvation and mitigate volatile food security, she has now some assets thosecan be counted as the valuable reserves in crisis. Along with the current capitalsfor small trades and poultry, she has a total of 13 goats. Along with goat rearingand vending clothes, Halima also is rearing poultries and is successful to earnconsiderable income from all those. In fact, now she has become self-reliant,standing on own foot and gained a degree of social power and rights to bargainabout the fundamental rights for her and the families like her.

Being a member of BEES, Halima's monthly income has increased to around Taka6,500 with goat and poultry rearing and clothes vending with optimal capitals.

Halima Finds Way to Survive

The increase in income earning has enabled her to spend optimally in food andclothing; she can now spend an amount for health services and recreation.Some other expenditure to improve the quality of life has been increased. Nowshe can also save a little in cash.

Before Halima was socially neglected, left-out and overpowered. Her opinionscarried little values to her commensal community. But when the communityfound her self-reliant, income earning, standing on own foot and continuingwith progress in livelihoods like food, cloths and even she has now some skillson reading, writing and numeracy, her community has started to honour her forher efforts. Before involved with BEES, Halima had to face immense psycho-social stigma. She always thought of her as very low, vacant, poor and helplessand used to pass days with a single or a half-meal! At the same time, she alwayshad understanding that there was no income earning scopes for an unskilled,non-working and helpless anywhere in her known vicinities.

Before her engagement in development works as a member of BEES, no bodycared Halima socially. As she was worthless and poor, very few evaluated her asa person of dignity and honour. She was just a left out personality in the vastpopulation. Nobody intervened in her wants and she became totallydirectionless, even unable to decide what to do or where to go for a relief.


Monthly income after beingmember of BEES

0

1000

2000

Taka

3000 Poutry

Goat rearing

Clothe vending

Others

Apart from the loan received from BEES, Halima received a number of essentiallife skill trainings and awareness orientation under Seba Package within creditplus services of BEES including those of different skill development trainings,health care awareness and skills, disaster management awareness, vegetableseeds for kitchen gardening, family planning and welfare awareness, etc forcontinued development and progress of Halima's family.

Halima now feels empowered and does not think herself weak and helpless asshe felt before becoming involved with BEES. She now dreams for the ultimatetransformation for her own and for others and plans for herself! She wants to bean example for the others in the process of socio-economic upliftment struggleswining over the poverty and hunger. Her husband now evaluates her betterthan before and he does not become angry now and then on her as he used todo before. As Halima is now an income earner, she has now better position fordecision-making within the family and in the community. Understanding withthe husband and other family members has been enhanced tremendously.

Skill development training from BEES and the loan facilities have given Halimathe opportunity, courage and dream to be a successful and sustained incomeearner. She is now able to meet her minimal needs for the usual livelihoods inthe usual class-standard in the community and dreaming even bettertransformation.

She is now better evaluated by her fellow community members andneighbours. Many take her news, far more degrees of prevailing social customsand manners are exercised with her as she is now an income earner and iscapable to drive on her own! She is now specially invited and honoured in thesocial events like marriage ceremonies and other social and religious rituals. Sheis also evaluated for her influences in the community, even in politics.

Halima's contained memories of her past days' helplessness, poverty, and pityseeking and community's extreme negligence to her still hurts her too much.The shame, ignorance, and disgrace by the relatives even the family members inpast days resulted in psycho-social stigma still surfaced as bad dreamssometimes. However, participating in intervention with BEES Halima has already

29Halima Finds Way to Survive

30

changed the scenario and she now feels, life is to be lived with self-reliance andin graceful way with honour and stout neck!

I want to be sustained as an income earner with more one or two loans fromBEES. Once self-reliant, I want to be esteemed in my own way with theawareness, knowledge, skills and the dreams achieved with my association andparticipation with BEES.

I have achieved many thing. Being assisted with the BEES support I have becomecapable to mitigate poverty for my family in a part of my country where majorityof the people have been living under the poverty line and has to be engaged inrelentless struggles for income earning to mitigate volatile food security in thehouseholds and famines in each day.

"I hold a vision that with appropriate income earning activities all the people ofmy community should be healthy, sound and creative with optimal food andother basic amenities to match the extreme beauty of the indigenous Sal, Teakand other evergreen forests of Madhobpur of the Hobiganj district", Halimaexpresses her feelings being extremely grateful to the organization and workersof BEES for the transformation of her life.

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31

Sheuli Turns to the New Horizon

32

Sheuli became pregnant for the second time. She became seriously sick. Shebecame bed-ridden. Everybody in the family thought that Sheuli might notsurvive.Then the BEES paramedic madam came forward. She helped Sheuli withmedication and advice. She referred Sheuli to higher medical facilities. Sheuliwas finally saved. "I prayed to Allah for the BEES and the paramedic madam.Theincidence still makes me emotional when I remember that", Sheuli expressesherself having a big smile. Sheuli continues that her family frequently sufferedfrom food insecurity, and poverty, but with the help and efforts from BEES,slowly she could overcome the trouble and could start income generationactivities. With the effort, she and her family have become self-reliant. "This hasgiven me a very pleasant and grateful feeling for the BEES", says Sheuli with avery grateful heart for BEES.

This was the turning point of Sheuli's life. Sheuli Akhter is a rural woman of 28years old. She was struggling to manage minimal requirements for an ordinarylife with adequate food, clothes and other basic amenities for herself and herfamily. Sheuli is a mother of two children. Her husband's name is Md. Arfanuddin(Badal). They are living in the village Diakandi of Sukundi union underMonohardi upazila of Narsingdi district.

I and my family had very limited scope for income earning.We had to suffer withextremely vulnerable situation without any capacity to purchase minimal foodfor the family. Poverty, hunger and starvation were the regular phenomena forthe family. My family was passing days in extremely demoralized situation.

Miseries never come alone. The sky was the roof of my children. I used to workas a maid servant in others' houses. Neighbours used to abuse me and my familymembers frequently for water. We had no sanitary latrines. So we used to go tothe open ground at the call of nature.

Sheuli Akhter's family had only income earning opportunities with herhusband's such job as working at a shop and rickshaw-van driving irregularlybefore she became a BEES member. That could only contribute to their 'hand tomouth status', but were too meager to meet up the other demands for a familywith minimal basic amenities. For small capital in shop business and low income

KULSUMS AND KARIMS

I have stood on my own feet for economic self-reliance and confidence which have fulfilledmy dream of sufficient income earning for mitigating the poverty in my family for ever and

to drive my family for dreamed prosperity.

yielding rickshaw van driving, they could afford a little in comparison to theirfamily's basic needs. They didn't have any reserve to continue their familyexpenditures in crisis periods. With rickshaw-van driving and small shop SheuliAkhter's family could only earn as much as Taka 1,500 per month through thejob of her husband. However, Sheuli herself wasted the time as a housewife andcouldn't contribute to any income earning. On the other hand, the expendituresof her family were amounted not less than Taka 3,000 per month. Thus it was avery difficult situation where the spending was just double than the monthlyearning! The family had difficulties in arranging daily meal for the familymembers. Even the family couldn't purchase sufficient clothes, and couldn'tspend necessary money even during the severe health ailments.

Sheuli Akhter narrates the background of her becoming the member of BEES,"Some of my neighbours were the members of other NGOs. They took trainingand loans from them. With those, they considerably improved their quality oflives. I also went with them and became the member of BEES. I started to payback my loan. BEES, which I saw as the real friend of the destitute permitted meas their member and offered all that service provision they had, like trainingsand the loan. In my poverty-ridden past days, when me and my family were atthe edge of total extinction for poverty, I was looking for an organization whichcould provide me skill training and loans for initiating IGA for my incomeearning. Finally BEES gave me the essential and vital support. At last I got theopportunity to try something for changing the mode of my family's fate. Ithought and hope that it might be a rare opportunity for me to change thedirection of my family's long deprivation and poverty. So I took the informationabout their rules and regulations to be a member. Then I found them andbecame their member. In the process soon, I received the necessary skill trainingand took opportunity of loan".

Sheuli Akhter took training intensively on poultry, sanitation, vegetable andprimary health care from BEES. With skill training and loan from BEES, with thefirst loan of Taka 3,000 Sheuli Akhter purchased a cow and continued her familyexpenditure with selling of the milk. Then with the second loan of Taka 5,000,she again purchased another cow. In the meantime she again took training onpoultry farming and raised a poultry farm with 5,000 birds. Sheuli used to profit

33Sheuli Turns to the New Horizon

considerably from poultry products. Two cows were producing 8 kg. of milkseveryday. She has constructed a good house with enough space. She has madeher children school-going. Her family has been able to construct a brick-builthouse. She has also built a sanitary latrine for her family. Her husband hasstopped working in others' shop. As a result, she is now living peacefully withher husband and the children. "All these are the contribution of BEES. I havestood on my own feet for economic self-reliance and confidence which havefulfilled my dream of sufficient income earning for mitigating the poverty in myfamily for ever and to drive my family for dreamed prosperity", Sheuli expressesherself.

Sheuli has directly been benefited from the practical training on the poultry.With the training she has been able to understand the technical know-how toraise poultry in the households. She also has learnt the importance ofvaccination. She now knows the information where to go if she is in trouble withher poultry. In the process she has taken Taka 10,000 loan to raise a householdpoultry farm with 500 birds. BEES has helped her with loan and technical advice.She has made a profit of Taka 3,000 with the selling of the produced chicks. Shehas also been trained on small entrepreneurship topics especially themanagement, sales and accounting and that is of high utilization for her groceryshop, the main business run by her family. All these trainings have beenconducted by BEES. In some instances, other people interested now come to herto learn the skills of the mentioned entrepreneurship techniques and sheteaches them those without hesitation. Thus community empowerment withsuch capacity building has been started with BEES efforts through transfer ofsustained technologies.

Now Sheuli's 6-member family has been living with all the basic amenities withfood and others. She is now getting full social dignity for her family. Her family isnow using sanitary latrine and drinking safe water. Her husband now seems tobe more inclined to her than before and just has forgot becoming harsh withher that he used to do in earlier times. Understanding with her husband andother family members has been accelerated tremendously.


35

As I am now a successful income earner, I have acquired better position to be adecision-maker within the family and in the community. My successes definitelyhave enabled me to acquire better and strengthened bargaining power withinthe family and in my commensal community including the relatives and peergroups.

My husband now takes my opinion in any work and we work together for ourfamily prosperity. I and my husband have become opinion leaders in our village.We also are contributing to the development of our village renderingappropriate suggestions. After becoming a successful entrepreneur, thecommunity people now call me for any 'Salish' or community decision.They arenow paying me and my family a great respect and that has made me amazedand satisfied. Earlier I was socially neglected, left-out and almost isolatedbecause I was poor. My opinions rarely carried values in my surroundings. Butnow my successful transformation with labourious struggles, self-reliance,income earning standing on own foot and continuing improvement in livingstandards, my community has started to honour me for my efforts andsuccesses.With success in income earning, I am now even respected by the localopinion leaders and the local decision-makers in the community as with theefforts and assistance from BEES, I have become successful to create a group ofpeople who found me as the symbol of success.

Sheuli now earns about Taka 10,000 per month even after maintaining theexpenses of the children's education. Even in need, she can give loan to herknown people. She has become solvent with the help of BEES through business.She has made her grocery shop bigger enough to be self sustained and she isnow a proud owner of that shop. Skill development training from BEES and theloan has given Sheuli Akhter the opportunity, courage and technical know-howto be a successful and sustained income earner through entrepreneurship. Nowshe is just an example of successful entrepreneur like a 'role model' who can befollowed by others to meet their minimal needs for the livelihoods in thecommunity. It is now easier for her to have loan from other sources as it has beenproved that she can make profit, can repay, and thus her entrepreneurship hassuffered less trouble for making capital as she has already become a goodborrower who can pay back the loan money with service charge.

Sheuli Turns to the New Horizon

Apart from receiving loan from BEES, Sheuli Akhter has also received healthservices under Seba Package and very important family planning advice andservice from BEES paramedic madam for herself and the family. She also hasbeen given vegetable seeds free of cost for kitchen gardening to get essentialvegetables in family food and also for income earning. Proper guidelines forcultivating the vegetables has also been given by BEES. Sheuli Akhter says, "Ihave received assistance for other essentials from BEES and also the necessaryinformation and awareness for a better life. I have also received a number ofessential life skill trainings and awareness packages from BEES including thoseof different skill development trainings. I get help from my savings with BEESand even occasionally take money from BEES to meet up any urgent need". Inthe way, Sheuli Akhter seems to be not only capable of being able to face the lifeon her own through successful income earning and to spend those for herfamily for optimal food and other essentials, also she is now able to save anappreciable amount to be used in future crisis or to create some assets for thefamily. Now Sheuli plans for raising another poultry farm with two more workersin a participatory manner by taking loan from BEES. She wants to train them andhelp them for their economic establishment with IGA through the technicalknow-how and training from the BEES.


Sheuli Akhter holds the vision for more prosperity in her trades and businesses.She wants to make her children educated enough to make them capable ofgetting honourable job. She wants her entrepreneurship would be everexpanding and makes logical profit which she wanted to earn by hard labour.She states her desire, "I want to make a brick-built house. Thus I want to live anhonourable life with my family in the community where we live". She desireswith appropriate income earning activities all the people of her communityshould be healthy, sound and creative with optimal food and other basicamenities to match unprecedented scenic beauty of the greenish Narsingdiwith hundreds of rivers, canals and flood plains.

Sheuli feels extremely grateful to BEES for its loan and training support withadvices as those have made herself reliant. She hopes for the best of BEES andits continued effort in the rural area for upliftment of the deprived people. Shethanks BEES for implanting dreams for continued progress and prosperity forthe deprived and poverty-stricken people in need. "I hope all others capable toact like BEES to come forward for mitigating the hunger, starvation and centurylong disgrace and dishonours for the ever poverty-ridden destitute populationin the vast rural areas. I hope that BEES would continue to help the destitutepeople", Sheuli concludes with a big smile.

37Sheuli Turns to the New Horizon

39

New Life of Abul Kalam Azad

What about Azad's family? Eid-ul-Fitre on the next day. Azad was empty handed.He had no money. His wife and the eldest son understood his problem. Azadobserved that his wife was crying silently in absence of him. His son waspretending that everything was alright and he needed nothing. But his twodaughters were too young to understand the financial crisis.They started cryingfor new cloths as the children of other families were putting on new cloths onthe festival. They became impatient and asked once and again for new dress toAzad and his wife. Azad became speechless. His wife had nothing to consoletheir daughters. The daughters got sleeping after crying for a long time.

Abul Kalam Azad, son of late Ayez Uddin, resides at Rohotra village inMahadevpur upazila under Naogaon district. He is the father of one son and twodaughters. Azad used to earn a very poor income through running a small shopat his village. His average monthly income was only 1,800 Taka. It was verydifficult for him to maintain his five-member family with this little earning.Moreover his children used to suffer very often from different types of water-borne diseases. It was very hard for him to manage doctor's fees and medicalexpenses for his children alongside maintaining his family.

Azad recollects, "In 2000, Eid-ul-Fitre was knocking at the door. The villagerswere taking preparation for observing Eid festival. Parents were buying newdresses, shoes and other things for their children and themselves. Every familybecame busy arranging delicious food for the holyday. But, I and my wife couldnot manage to cook any improved meal". Azad adds, "Our children remainedalmost unattended on the Eid festival. They didn't get anything to observe theDay with enjoyment. While the other children of the village enjoyed the Day ina festive mode, our children did not find any option to make it a Day forenjoyment". They, finding no other way, just visited their relatives' house andhad some sweets and food there. Azad and his wife spent the whole dayhelplessly at home and thought how to overcome the financial crisis.

Few days later, when Azad was sitting in his shop, one man came to the nextshop and started discussion about different development initiatives.Overhearing some of the conversations Azad became interested and joined thediscussion. He came to know that this person was from BEES office and he wasa development worker.


In 2000, Eid-ul-Fitre was knocking at the door. The villagers were taking preparation forobserving Eid festival. Parents were buying new dresses, shoes and other things for their

children and themselves. Every family became busy arranging delicious food for theholyday. But, I and my wife could not manage to cook any improved meal

The staff of BEES was describing about BEES' initiative towards improvement ofstandard of living. He was explaining how to become a member of BEES andavail the micro-credit facilities from BEES. He was also describing that BEES usedto provide technical support through training and financial support to expandentrepreneurship. Being a participant and listener of discussion, Azad becamevery impressed. He got an inspiration listening to the BEES' worker anddiscussed the issue with his wife. Finally Azad decided to join BEES.

On the very next day Azad went to BEES office and became a member of BEES.Then becoming a member of BEES, he received training on EnterpriseDevelopment. Not only Azad, but also his wife received training on Cow Rearingand Livestock Management. Azad and his wife also received training onHomestead Gardening, Health Care and Sanitation. As part of the process Azadtook 10,000 Taka from BEES in the year 2000 as the first loan to invest in his shop.Earlier due to lack of money, Azad could not manage to keep a good number of

41New Life of Abul Kalam Azad

42

grocery items in his shop. Now with this investment he increased the number ofitems in his grocery shop. As a result the sale from his shop had been increasedand he started making more profit. He invested 15,000 taka more getting the2nd loan from BEES.

Azad's wife was not sitting idle. Since she received training on cow rearing andlivestock management, she wanted to participate in income generating activitiesalong with Azad. Azad utilized his third loan of Taka 20,000 to buy a cow for hiswife in the year 2002. Now his wife has been rearing the cow and earning moneythrough selling milk. At present their monthly income is about Tk. 14,500.

Azad's wife has been proved as an enthusiastic woman. She has been managingto utilize the homestead area to grow different fruits and vegetables. These aremeeting the requirements of their family. Sometimes she also sells the excessamount and earns some extra money.

Now Azad and her wife are more health conscious. They maintain betterhygiene practices personally and within their family.They have also constructeda sanitary latrine as per the advice from BEES staff. Now their children do notsuffer from any water-borne diseases. They also have the opportunity to availhealth services from Seba Package within BEES credit plus services, if needed.Now their life is getting better. Azad and his family now enjoy the essence ofhappy and solvent life.

I and my wife often discuss together about our past life as well as plan for thefuture.We remember that in many occasions we were ignored by the society forour financial crisis. But now with the assistance from BEES, we have become ableto overcome our miseries. Now we are solvent and have a better status in thesociety. We have earned respect from the community people. We have becomean inevitable part of our community. It is BEES, who has showed us the light forsurvival. We are grateful to BEES and its staff. Their efforts and encouragementhave helped us to climb-up the ladder of development.

Azad has been planning to expand his business along with his wife. They arenow caring about good education for their children. They wish that their eldestson would become a doctor.

KULSUMS AND KARIMS

43

Smiling Face of Shahanara:A Downtrodden Woman

44

Shahanara didn't get any source of income earning except engaging her asagricultural labourer. Her family suffered from poverty and food insecurity sofrequently. In such an occasion, for essential money to purchase food for thefamily, she mortgaged her ornament to a local money lender on a very lowamount of money unfortunately who never returned those. As a woman, shetook great pain in loss of her ornaments as those were the ornaments which shegot on her marriage.

Shahanara Arju Ruby, a woman of 28 years old was one of the millionhousewives in the area who was struggling to live an ordinary life with food,clothes and other basic amenities for her family. She is married and a mother oftwo children - one boy and one girl. Her husband is Abdul Majid of Gogonpurvillage, under Patnitala upazila of Naogaon district.

My family had only income earning opportunity in agriculture and as labourer.But for the whole year, the works were not available and we didn't have anyreserve to continue our feeding when there was no income earning workavailable for us. I and my family were to suffer from hunger, and other povertyrelated health ailments frequently.With agriculture, my family used to earn onlyas much as Taka 1,800 per month. In the other hand, the minimal expendituresof my family were amounted not less than our monthly income. I couldn't saveany money and I was not happy with a 'hand to mouth' status.

Shahanara states, "In my poverty-ridden past days, when me and my family wasat the risk of demise for hunger and starvation, I heard of an organization namedBEES which was with programmes for providing skill development training,rendering primary health service and disbursing loans among the destitutepopulation. I found the organization out and became a member. In the processsoon, I received skill training and took opportunity of loan and the eventsstarted changing my livelihoods miraculously".

With skill training and the loan of Taka 5,000 from BEES, Shahanara first startedto herd the poultry. Shahanara started to earn a good amount of income byselling eggs and poultry. With the second loan of Taka 8,000, Shahanarapurchased a cow and earned from selling milk.With the 3rd loan of Taka 11,000,

KULSUMS AND KARIMS

In my poverty-ridden past days, when me and my family was at the risk of demise forhunger and starvation, I heard of an organization named BEES which was with

programmes for providing skill development training, rendering primary health serviceand disbursing loans among the destitute population. I found the organization out andbecame a member. In the process soon, I received skill training and took opportunity of

loan and the events started changing my livelihoods miraculously.

she started a small fish cultivation project. With the fourth loan of Taka 14,000,she infused necessary money to her running businesses to make them morebeneficial with more investments and since then, all the three businesses wererunning with more profits. Thus Shahanara stood on her own foot for economicself-reliance and confidence which fulfilled her dream of sufficient incomeearning for mitigating the hunger and starvation in her family for ever and todrive the family for utmost prosperity. Her monthly income is approximately Tk9,000 at present.

Now Shahanara's husband seems to be more inclined to her than before andjust has forgot to become harsh on her that he did in earlier times. As Shahanarahas become a successful income earner, she has acquired a better position to bea decision-maker within the family and in the community. Understanding withthe husband and other family members has been accelerated tremendously.

Before Shahanara was socially neglected, left-out and almost isolated asbecause she was poor. Her opinions rarely carried values in her surroundings.But when the community found her successful transformation with labouriousstruggles, self-reliant, income earning standing on own foot and continued

45Smiling Face of Shahanara: A Downtrodden Woman

46

improvement in living standards, her community has started to honour her forher efforts and successes.

Skill development training from BEES and the loan have given Shahanara theopportunity, courage and technical know-how to be a successful and sustainedincome earner through entrepreneurship or small trades. She is now seemed tobe an example for successful entrepreneur like a "role model" who could befollowed for enabling on similar to meet her minimal needs for the livelihoodsin the usual class-standard in the community.

I have received health services from BEES for me and my family. I have also beengiven vegetable seeds for kitchen gardening to get essential vegetables in familyfood and also for income earning to an extent. I have also received assistance forsanitary latrine from BEES and also the necessary information regarding manyessentials for better life. I have received a number of essential life skill trainingsand awareness packages from BEES including those of different skilldevelopment trainings in poultry, cow rearing, and fisheries, etc. In the way, thenI am seemed to be not only capable of being able to face the life on my ownthrough successful income earning and to spend those for my family for optimalfood and other essentials, also I am now able to save an appreciable amount tobe used in future crisis and to create some assets for my family.

Shahanara dreams for more prosperity in her trades and businesses. She wantsto make her children educated enough to get honourable job. She wants herentrepreneurship would be ever expanding and make best profit which shewants to earn by working heart & soul .Thus she wants to live an honourable lifewith her family in the community. She wants her success stories to bedisseminated among the others, who are in crisis in the vast rural areas. Shedesires with appropriate income earning activities all the people of hercommunity should be healthy, sound and creative with optimal food and otherbasic amenities to match unprecedented greenish paddy fields of Naogaondistrict.

Shahanara is extremely grateful to BEES and the workers of BEES for thetransformation of her life to prosperity. She thanks BEES to implant her dreams

KULSUMS AND KARIMS

for continued progress and prosperity for the deprived and poverty-strickenpeople in need. She hopes all others capable to act like BEES to come forwardfor mitigating the hunger, starvation and century long disgrace and dishonoursfor the ever poverty-ridden destitute population in the vast rural areas.

47Smiling Face of Shahanara: A Downtrodden Woman

49

Moyna's Miseries Gone by

50

Only courage, self respect and sincere efforts are essential to flourish the buds whichreally exists inside the destitute women. I have already proceeded half-way and still I

have a long way to go to fulfill my latent dream.

What is lotted, cannot be blotted - a very common proverb among the generalpeople in Bangladesh. I am Moyna Uriya, obviously one of them, who haveexperienced the essence of this proverb very practically. I am an ordinary, simplerural young lady of only 25 years old. I spent my childhood at the tea garden ofMadhobpur upazila under Hobiganj district. I dreamt of a life full of love,enjoyment and new experiences with my newly married husband. But ithappened quite opposite. My husband divorced me claiming a huge amount ofmoney as dowry when I was four-month pregnant. Finally I had to return to myfather Dipok Uriya's house.

Noapara Tea Garden - a place of natural beauty with all its deep green. Moynaresided in a thatched house at a corner of this tea-garden with her innocentlittle daughter. She felt herself as a burden of her father. Days were passing withgrief and uncertainty. Moyna considered herself responsible for her own fate.She felt herself disadvantaged and helpless. It was really hard to arrange food forher daughter and herself. Moyna was ignored by the society. Everybody startedat her with pity. "Life became unbearable for me. Sometimes, I considered myselfa curse of God", Moyna defines her distressed life.

Years gone by…

Moyna had the scope to become a group member of BEES - a lighthouse forMoyna. The name of the samity (cooperative) of BEES was Noapara Tea-GardenSamity. BEES provided training on Social Awareness to develop self-relianceamong the distressed women. In addition, Moyna received training on CowRearing and Livestock Management from the staff of BEES.

Moyna was supported by BEES as she borrowed money to buy a cow and somechickens. Moyna says, "I received 2,000 Taka and 4,000 Taka as the first andsecond loan respectively. I spent the money of first loan for buying a calf. Uponreceiving training and necessary advice from BEES, I became confident to rearthe calf efficiently". Moyna utilized her second loan in buying a cow. In fact,training added perfection to efficient management of husbandry. She alsospent some money to buy some chickens. Just after few months, her life startedchanging. The cow gave birth to a calf and chickens started laying eggs. "I

KULSUMS AND KARIMS

started earning money from selling milk and eggs. I started also paying back myloan money", Moyna expresses her happiness.

Moyna also received some seedling and saplings from BEES. Moyna sowedplants at her homestead. She came to know the health benefits of fruits andvegetables from the staff of BEES. Moyna became health conscious. She used tofeed her daughter fruits and vegetables and sold excess portion to the nearbymarket. It became an extra source of income for Moyna. Moyna and herdaughter regularly received health services from BEES clinic.

Moyna proved herself as a trusted member of BEES. She used to pay back herloan installments on a regular basis. Again she took third loan from BEES andbought a van for her father by adding some of her own savings. Moyna's fathernow has become a self-employed man!

Everyday Moyna used to sell more than five liters of milk and dozens of eggs.Gradually her monthly net income raised to more than 5,000 taka afterrepayment of the loan.

Now Moyna can meet the requirements of her family. She has taken theresponsibilities of her family. She is getting priority at her family as well as in thecommunity. Moyna's daughter Swapna has started schooling. Swapna hasalready proved her as a brilliant student.

Moyna is now getting importance in her surrounding community. She hasearned respect and love from them. Now the community people do not forgetto invite Moyna in any social or religious occasion. Sometimes Moyna looks backto her past. "These are the people who ignored and disregarded me. I was alwaysundermined and my appearance in any social events was not acceptedpositively. I was thought as a woman of misfortune. But now, the scenario isdifferent. BEES has changed my life totally", Moyna makes a strong point infavour of her present status.

Just one day back, Moyna has bought a new saree. Putting on that saree she isstanding at the door and waiting for Swapna, her daughter to come back from

51Moyna's Miseries Gone by

52

school. Moyna observes Swapna, with blue uniform and carrying the red bag ather neck is approaching to her with a mind blowing smile. Moyna tries to beassured, "Is it a dream? Oh no! It is my daughter Swapna, my dream".

I want to forget my past. I want to forget the violence and brutality caused to meby my husband for dowry. I have learnt many practical things in 25 years time ofmy life. Now my husband wants to get me back into his family. But I know thattime and tide wait for none. I will never go back to my distressed life again. Nowit is time for me to move forward. I am ready to face the truth of life and strugglefor fulfilling any dreams. Now my dream is only Swapna, my daughter, and abright future for her and myself. Now I am more confident and self-reliant. I donot want any sympathy from anyone. I believe that my self-respect and effortswill take me to a desired place.

KULSUMS AND KARIMS

Moyna has a plan to expand her business. She will take some more money toexpand her poultry. Now-a-days demand of eggs is increasing gradually. She willgo for a bigger poultry farm. She needs supporting hands also. She has plannedto employ a person to look after her poultry. Before expanding the poultry, shefeels to receive some training on vaccination from BEES. Moyna knows that BEESextends its support always. She has decided to share her plan with BEES staffand get some advice on how to proceed on further with everything positive.

Moyna has established herself in the society as a symbol of determination. Shewishes all like her to come forward and win over violence and establishthemselves. She further hopes, "BEES will always stand beside us to extend allpossible support. Only courage, self respect and sincere efforts are essential toflourish the buds which really exists inside the destitute women. I have alreadyproceeded half-way and still I have a long way to go to fulfill my latent dream".

53Moyna's Miseries Gone by

55

Perseverance Brings Ataura Bright Future

Ataur Rahman is a young man of 33 years. His father is late Mia Hossain andmother's name is Rahela Begum. He lives in a remote village named Baniagramunder Kotiali upazila in the district of Kishorganj. Ataur Rahman describes one ofhis unforgettable memories. "In the year 2000, my neighbour's son Muhitbecame seriously ill. Muhit's mother was a poor woman and her husband wentout to work for few weeks at a long distance during the harvesting season. Shebecame puzzled and helpless. I went there, stood helplessly and could notunderstand what to do.

Suddenly I found a man named Reza. Reza came and made necessaryarrangement to take Muhit to the Upazila Health Complex. I accompanied them.I observed that Reza talked to the doctors and they informed us that Muhit hadacute appendicitis. He needed to go under operation immediately. Muhit'smother was about to be faint. She only uttered that doctor must do whatever issuggested by Reza. I became little bit curious about Reza.Who was he? Why wasMuhit's mother so dependent on Reza? In fact, I did not meet him earlier.However, the doctor operated Muhit. His sense came and he talked to hismother. The doctor said that his life was saved because he was admitted andoperated in time.We were relieved.Then I started talking to Reza at the verandaof the hospital. I came to know that Reza was a development worker of BEES. Hestarted explaining the mission and vision of BEES, development initiatives ofBEES and many other issues. I was listening to him and the night was gettingdeeper. I also came to know that Muhit's mother was a group member of BEES.She received training on cow rearing and livestock management and startedrearing a cow with loan from BEES. Reza was the contact person from BEES. Hehelped Muhit's mother in starting the income generating activities. Gradually Iunderstood that Reza was really a trust-worthy person and that's why Muhit'smother could entirely depend on him.

Reza really impressed me with his behaviour and attitude. Later on I met himseveral times. I discussed my present financial status and my desire to dosomething better in life. I used to repair bicycles and earn very little money.Sometimes I used to buy and sell paddy and make some profit out of that. Butmy income was not stable. I am the only earning member in my family. Myparents got old and my father was not able to work. So, it was my responsibility


I am planning to expand my business. I will marry soon and of course withoutany dowry. My mother is looking for a bride.

to maintain the family but unfortunately I was not in a position to cope with thesituation.

Reza listened to me very carefully. Then he analyzed my situation and advisedme some options which I could avail. He informed me that I could get soft loanfrom BEES and repay it on maintaining weekly installments. He also describedthe potentiality of trading on paddy and suggested how to do it in a better way.

Accordingly I enrolled myself as a member of BEES. Gradually I received trainingon Micro-enterprise Development and Trading. Then I borrowed 7,000 Taka asthe first loan from BEES to start trading on paddy in the year 2000. I madereasonable profit out of it. Therefore, I invested 12,000 Taka more getting thesecond loan from BEES in 2001. With necessary guidance and support fromBEES, gradually I came to know how to do better in this business. I became moreconfident and invested 15,000 Taka more having the third loan from BEES. Iregularly repay the loan to BEES.

I also utilized some of the money to purchase some tools and spares to repairbicycles. It is my hobby and I also earn a handsome amount from the repairingwork.

57Perseverance Brings Ataur a Bright Future

0

10,000

20,000Taka

Yr 2000

Yr 2001

Yr 2002

Yr 2003

Yr 2004

Yr 2005

30,000

40,000

Gradual progress of Ataur's loan receiving

58

BEES continuously supported me.The staff of BEES guided and facilitated me torun the trading professionally. They continuously monitored my business andsuggested what to do and how to do. I also availed 25,000 Taka and 35,000 Takarespectively as the fifth and sixth loans from BEES. I was able to repay most ofthe loan.

BEES, appreciating my potentiality, encouraged and helped me to becomefinancially solvent. Now I am able to carry out all the responsibilities towards myfamily. I have extended two more rooms in the homestead with earlier tworooms. We did not have any cattle earlier. Now we have eight cows and one ofmy distant nephews looks after them. My mother is busy in selling milk and theearning from the milk is only for her! My parents are now very happy. At present,my monthly income is nearly Tk. 20,000.

My attachment with BEES has made me responsible for the community as well.I feel responsibilities not only to my family but also to the society. I considermyself as a responsible citizen of the society. Also the community people loveand respect me. They often invite me to solve any social problem. I involvemyself with various social development activities. I help the flood victims andpeople who suffer from any other natural calamity and social problems.

I am planning to expand my business. I will marry soon and of course withoutany dowry. My mother is looking for a bride. BEES not only helped me toestablish myself in the society but also enhanced my human potentiality. Now Iknow about the benefits of a small family and rights of a woman. I wish I couldhave a small and happy family. I want my wife to be my partner in all respectsthroughout life".

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Happiness in Lalbanu's Family

60

I used to think many a time whether God created my children only for suffering!When the children cried out of hunger, it became unbearable for me - anaffectionate mother. I used to go door-to-door to borrow some money to buyfood for my children. But relatives and neighbours became reluctant to lendmoney to me anymore. They were gradually trying to avoid my family. I couldnot send my children to school.

Complain and quarrel are the everyday phenomena in the family of Lalbanu.Because Lalbanu, 45, has a big family of three sons and three daughters. Herhusband, Md. Shamser Ali, is a day labourer of Bengadoba under Madhobpurupazila in Hobiganj. He also used to sell some vegetables in the nearby market.Altogether his monthly income was about 1,300-1,400 Taka only. It wastroublesome and almost impossible for Lalbanu to manage her big family withso little amount of income. She had to borrow money from her relatives andneighbours every month. Lack of money and burden of such a big family werethe usual points of argument between husband and wife.

But Lalbanu did not stop dreaming. She always thought that she must dosomething for her family. One day that scope came to her life! Being learnt aboutBEES and its programmes Lalbanu was enrolled as a group member of BEES-runsamity. She started depositing money in the samity regularly and soon becameeligible to get loan from BEES.

The staff of BEES were very supportive. They inspired Lalbanu forentrepreneurship development. Several options were consulted with Lalbanu.At last Lalbanu decided to start a small grocery shop.Then she received trainingon Small Scale Entrepreneurship Development. She was trained on how to keepaccounts and how to manage entrepreneurship.Training made her confident torun business sitting a grocery shop. Lalbanu started the shop with 2,000 Takaonly getting that from BEES as the first loan. Initially the grocery items were fewin number. When it was observed that she was making reasonable profit, sheavailed the second loan of 4,000 Taka. Now she has added some more items inher shop. Gradually she has become a confident and successful entrepreneur.Lalbanu has never missed any repayment schedule. She has proved herself as a

KULSUMS AND KARIMS

BEES will expand its similar interventions throughout the country to reach to allpoor communities.

trusted member of Bengadoba Mohila Samity under BEES. She has expandedher business by taking the third loan of 6,000 Taka.

Lalbanu has also received training on Social Awareness Raising. She has fromtraining of BEES that hard work is the key to success. She was not ashamedabout what she was doing. At the beginning many neighbours teased her whenshe used to sit in her small shop. But when people observed that she wasearning money, gradually their attitude had been changed towards her. Thepeople who ignored Lalbanu earlier have started respecting her. Even herhusband, who used to start his day quarrelling with her has changed his habit!He now shows respect to Lalbanu's opinions and decisions. Now they are ahappy couple.

Solvency has financials brought enjoyment in their life. Now Lalbanu earns morethan 4,000 Taka per month. Her total monthly expenditure is about 3,500 Taka.She is now sending her children to schools. Earlier some well-off families did notallow their children to play with Lalbanu's children. But now they don't have anyembargo on that.The neighbours who were afraid of lending money to Lalbanuare now coming to her for borrowing good advice. Now Lalbanu gets respectand honour from the family and the community.

61Happiness in Lalbanu's Family

62

I am planning for expanding my small enterprise to a medium one. I will receivetraining on Advanced (Medium) Entrepreneurship Development. I will availtechnical and financial assistance from BEES. My eldest son will assist me inaccounts-keeping while my husband will share the workload. My family effortwill be there with a dream to attain economic and social emancipation.

Lalbanu has high esteem and self-confidence and all the good wishes for BEES.She expects, "BEES will expand its similar interventions throughout the countryto reach to all poor communities."

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Abu Ashraf Makes it a Success

"When I failed to get loan from any financial institution without collateralsecurity, BEES extended financial support to me", says Abu Ashraf.

Ashraf, age 45, had a small shop at Muktijoddha Market in Mirpur, Dhaka. He wasinvolved with small scale trading of cloths. His monthly income was about 10,000Taka. He could manage his family with two sons and one daughter with hisincome. But after meeting all the expenses, he could not save any single amount.He wanted to have a solvent life and provide better education to his children.

Ashraf, 45 years old, was a hardworking and potential entrepreneur. His ambitionwas to establish a shop of ready-made garments. He had a business plan, whichwas derived from his own experience. He visited several banks and financialinstitutions to get loan. But he could not manage to get without collateralsecurity. He did not have enough savings to deposit as collateral security. At thisjuncture, he was involved with BEES.

BEES was looking for potential and energetic entrepreneurs. BEES appreciatedAshraf's ambition, efforts and hardwork. He took part in BEES's training onEntrepreneurship Development. He came to know how to prepare a businessplan professionally. Then he revised his business plan in consultation with thestaff of BEES. Ashraf stated the business of ready-made garments with the firstloan of 20,000 Taka received from BEES in the year 2000. He invested 40,000 Takamore taking the second loan from BEES in the same year.

This is the beginning of Ashraf's new dimension of entrepreneurship. BEESremained always beside him. The staff of BEES provided technical support tohim on how to run and expand the business and market the products. BEES'sstaff continuously monitored the progress of Ashraf's business and providednecessary advice and guidance.

In 2001, Ashraf expanded his business by investing 50,000 taka getting the thirdloan from BEES. Ashraf and BEES both are satisfied with the level of profit madefrom the business. BEES's staff realizes that they could pick up the right potentialperson and Ashraf will do much better if he gets proper guidance and necessaryfinancial back up from BEES.


My wife will also join in my business as soon as my youngest son starts schooling. Iwant to keep the smile in the face of my wife forever!

Ashraf availed the fifth loan of 75,000 Taka and sixth loan of 85,000 Taka fromBEES in 2003 and 2004 respectively for further expansion of his business. Hisbusiness started flourishing accordingly. Out of the profit made, Ashraf regularlyrepays the loan to BEES. Now he earns 70,000 Taka per month. Ashraf's futureplan is to establish a departmental store in addition to his ready-made garmentsshop. He is planning for the same in consultation with BEES staff.

Ashraf is not only a rising business figure, but also he is known as an honest andsincere person amongst the business community of the Muktijoddha Market atMirpur. His pleasant personality attracts everybody. Now he is a part and parcelof that business community. They feel proud to get him in their association.Ashraf has become the Secretary of the Mukti Cooperative Society as anuncontested candidate. His wise opinion and advice are well accepted by Mirpurbusiness community. Ashraf has made his position in the business community.Ashraf's establishment as a business leader is an excellent achievement of BEEStoo. Honest efforts of Ashraf along with sincere support from BEES has made itpossible.

65Abu Ashraf Makes it a Success

0

20,000

40,000

60,000

100,000

80,000

Amount of loan received

from BEES

Tak

a

1st Lone

2nd Lone

3rd Lone

4th Lone

5th Lone

6th Lone

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Not only in the business community, also in the family, Ashraf's status andacceptance have been enhanced. All his family members treat him differently.Now he receives more attention, love and respect from his family members.They obey him and follow his advice.

Before my involvement with BEES, I was not aware of the importance of femaleeducation, health & nutrition, sanitation, family planning, mother & child care,etc. However, during my long association with BEES, I came to know about allthese issues. I am now more caring about the well being of my family. I love mywife and share my problems with her. Now I consult my wife in decision-making.I believe in empowerment of women in the society. I dream that one day mydaughter will become a doctor. I appreciate that my wife always support mebehind the screen. She always provides moral support to me. I am grateful to mywife.

Ashraf expresses, "My wife is the most important person in my life who alwaysstands besides me. When I became very disappointed after not getting loanfrom any bank without collateral security, she encouraged me to join BEES. Andultimately I was able to find my way". His wife is very happy with Ashraf and herthree cute children. Ashraf expects, "My wife will also join in my business as soonas my youngest son starts schooling. I want to keep the smile in the face of mywife forever!"

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Raushan Ara becomes Self-reliant

Raushan Ara remembers many nights she passed with her family memberswithout food! Her family frequently suffered from food insecurity and poverty.Rain-water used to make the whole of the inside home coming through brokenholes in the thatched roof house. Even intense desires, she couldn't send herchildren to school. "Even some of the community leaders used to deprive me,my rights of getting relief due to my absolute no importance in the community.These make me still gloomy and frustrated as I cannot forget the insults ofothers. I had to face these while I was poor and not income earning", recollectsRaushan Ara.

Raushan Ara, wife of Md. Samad, was among the numerous housewives in thearea struggling to procure minimal requirements for living an ordinary life withfood, clothes and other basic amenities for her family. Raushan Ara is 46 yearsold having 2 sons. She is from the village of Dharabandha of Monohordi upazilaunder Narsingdi district. She was involved in struggle of livelihood and couldn'tarrange anything better than becoming a day labourer.

Raushan Ara and her family had no scope for income earning and were todepend on the seasonal day labouring. Raushan Ara and her family had to sufferwith extremely vulnerable situation without any capacity to purchase minimalfood for the family. Poverty, hunger and starvation were the regular features forthe family and the members were passing days in extremely demoralizedsituation.

BEES is working in the poverty-stricken area of Monohordi upazila underNaogaon district.With the support from BEES, Raushan Ara initiated her dream ofher long expected self-reliance for mitigating hunger and many more than that.

As a house wife, Raushan Ara at last found to do somethinks for her families withwhich she could survive with her family with the requirements, those thehuman beings require minimally. Raushan Ara states, "In my poverty ridden pastdays, when I and my family was at the edge of total extinction for hunger andstarvation, I heard of an organization named BEES which was with programmesfor providing skill training and disbursing loans among the destitute people. Ithought and hoped that it might be a rare opportunity for me to change the


With the profit, I could construct a house, sanitary latrine and could bear the educationexpenses of my children. Thus I have stood on my own foot for economic self-reliance

and confidence which has fulfilled my dream of sufficient income earning formitigating the poverty in my family for ever.

69

direction of my family's long deprivation and poverty. So I decieced to be amember of BEES-Samati."

I took the information about the rules and regulations to be a member of BEES-Samati. I also heard that they were providing seeds for winter vegetablecultivation for increasing vegetable consumption for better health and incomeearning. I found that they were also rendering minimal health services withreferrals and thus helping the destitute people attaining an optimal healthstatus. Then I just searched and found them and showed my interest to be theirmember. In the process soon, I received the necessary skill training and tookopportunity of loan and the events already have changed the direction of mylife and livelihoods up to my utmost expectations!.

Raushan Ara took training intensively on banana and betel leaf cultivations. Allthe trainings were arranged by BEES. Raushan Ara was directly benefited fromthe practical training on the banana cultivation. Her family made considerableincome earning from the banana cultivation. She also got training on practicalknowledge about the cultivation of betel leaf, another economically importantagro-based production. Raushan's family started to profit a handsome amounteach month.

With skill training and loan from BEES, with the first loan of Taka 5,000, RaushanAra started banana cultivation as per the suggestion of the BEES field workersand profited 3 times more than her investment. With the profit, Raushan Arathen purchased a cow and utilized a small amount of money for different smalltrades to continue the daily family expenditures. With the second loan of Taka9,000, Raushan Ara started betel leaf cultivation and she perceived theeconomic prospects of that was seemed to be an all-out demanded item in themarket and capable of making good profit without too much technicalknowledge and investments. "With the profit, I could construct a house, sanitarylatrine and could bear the education expenses of my children.Thus I have stoodon my own foot for economic self-reliance and confidence which has fulfilledmy dream of sufficient income earning for mitigating the poverty in my familyfor ever", says a proud Raushan.


The income earning source of Raushan Ara's husband was only day laboring. Butthe works were not available in all the years. They have no reserve to continuetheir feeding when there were no income earning works available for them. Sheand her family had to experience cruel hunger and other poverty related healthailments frequently. As agricultural labourer with earth work, Raushan Ara'sfamily could only earn as much as Taka 600 per month. In the other hand, theexpenditures of her family were amounted not less than monthly income. Withthe money, she couldn't arrange daily meal even once for her family members.She couldn't purchase clothes and spend any money even during severe healthailments. She even couldn't dream to save any money and her family even wasnot in so called 'hand to mouth' status.

After starting income earning with BEES support, Raushan's family has startedearning as much as Taka 5,500 per month with cultivation of banana, betel leafcultivation and other trade. Raushan's family now spends near about Taka 5,000per month. Now she can spend a considerable amount of money on essentialclothing for the family members. Also her family now can spend money foreducation. In this way, Raushan Ara can spend more to improve the livelihoodstatus of her family.

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Raushan's monthly income

MonthlyExpenditure

MonthlySavings

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As Raushan Ara has become a successful income earner, she has acquired betterposition to be a decision-maker within the family and in the community.Understanding with her husband and other family members has beenaccelerated tremendously. Her successes definitely has enabled her to acquirebetter and strengthened bargaining power within the family and in hercommensal community including the relatives and peer groups.

Before Raushan Ara was socially neglected, left-out and almost isolated asbecause she was poor. Her opinions rarely carried values in her surroundings.But when the community has found her successful transformation withlabourious struggles, self-reliant, income earning standing on own foot andcontinued improvement in living standards, her community has started tohonour. Raushan has now been respected by the local opinion leaders and thelocal decision-makers in the community.

Skill development training from BEES and the loan have given me theopportunity, courage and technical know-how to be a successful andsustained income earner through entrepreneurship. It is now easier forme to get loan even from other sources as I have proved that I canmake profit and can pay back, and thus my entrepreneurships havesuffered less trouble for capital as I already have become a good'borrower' who can pay back the loan money in time.

Apart from the loan received from BEES, Raushan Ara has received healthservices from BEES for herself and the family. She has been given vegetableseeds for kitchen gardening to get essential vegetables in family food and alsofor income earning to an extent. She has also received a number of essential lifeskill trainings and awareness packages from BEES including those of differentskill development trainings. She has also got help from her savings with BEESand even occasionally taken money from BEES to overcome any urgent need. Inthe way, Raushan Ara now seemed to be not only capable of being able to facethe life in her own through successful income earning and to spend those forher family for optimal food and other essentials, also she has been able to savean appreciable amount to the used in future crisis and to create some assets forthe family.


Raushan Ara still dreams for more prosperity in her trades and businesses. Shewants to make her children educated enough to get honourable job. She wantsher entrepreneurship would be ever expanding and makes logical profit. Shestates her desire to make a separate house for her children. She also plans toraise a poultry unit which she wants to take care by herself. Thus she wants tolive an honourable life with her family in the community where she lives. Shedesires with appropriate income earning activities all the people of hercommunity should be healthy, sound and creative with optimal food and otherbasic amenities to match unprecedented scenic beauty of the greenishNarsingdi with spectacular presence of rivers, canals and flood plains.


73Raushan Ara becomes Self-reliant

A Collection of Success Stories of the Disadvantaged People of Bangladesh Edited by Anirudha Alam

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Transcript of A Collection of Success Stories of the Disadvantaged People of Bangladesh Edited by Anirudha Alam