A short training on business and financial literacy has opened up new opportunities for young women in Gazipur, helping them to become small entrepreneurs.
Today, hundreds of housewives in the area, many of them had little exposure to business, have benefited from the six-week course aimed at bolstering the business acumen of female micro-borrowers. The participants can also access capital to make their businesses sustainable after the training.
Setara Khanam, an abandoned wife of Lagalia village in Gazipur, is one of them. The woman has been running her tailoring business in her house since her separation. Due to her good work, she has become popular in the area. Now, she is not only a dressmaker, also a fabric trader.
"I dreamed of opening a shop on my own, but had no courage. After participating in the training, I've gained the confidence of running the shop," she said in a recent interview.
Ms Khanom is a beneficiary of the tailored "business and financial literacy" training programme run by leading micro-lender BURO Bangladesh with the financial support from MasterCard, a US-based multinational financial services corporation. BURO Bangladesh also provides loan to the participants to run their micro-businesses.
Participants say they are happy with the training programme as they have gained knowledge to construct their own business future.
Fatema Khatun, a young house wife, had purchased an auto taxi for her husband after getting loan from the microfinance institution. After participating in the training, she is applying the new-found skills to manage the income from the vehicle run on battery.
The 26-year housewife said though she had the taxi for a long time, she faced difficulty in paying off the loan installment as she had little knowledge about the way businesses need to be conducted. Now, Ms Khatun says, she can see the clear future of the business, thanks to the technical know-how she has gained.
"My husband is now convinced of the plan for the business. He gives me the total income of the day. Then, I give a part of it to him for his daily expenditure, for pocket money, save a part of it for the installment of loan and a part for future investment," she said while narrating her story.
Zafar Ahmed Jewel, Gazipur Zonal Manager of BURO Bangladesh, said some 125 trainers have provided training to about 22,117 microborrowers in his zone.
"We had a target to reach out to 26,250 women in our 875 centres, but finally were able to train 22, 117," he said.
Mr Jewel said they are now nursing the participants by providing different kinds of skills along with loan.
BURO Bangladesh initiated the project targeting to fulfill two fundamentals for a vibrant rural economy--flexible financial and business development services reaching its targeted clients.
An official with the BURO Bangladesh said the organisation has targeted to train 100,000 clients and make 60,000 clients prepared to take first steps to start business because 14,000 trainings will be given at 3,500 kendra under 100 branches.
"And, we're close to achieving the target," the official said.
Stories of success have emerged from fellow micro-loan recipients, such as Amena Begum, Zahida Khatun, and Hasian Begum.
They say it is very much possible for them to expand businesses if they can secure credit in time.
© 2024 - All Rights with The Financial Express
