Rural women become solvent by sewing handloom garments

RANGPUR, Aug 4:  Sahara Khatun (26), wife of Mansur Ali at Sarderpara  village under Badarganj  Upazila in Rangpur district was passing her days in extreme misery even two years ago. Her husband was a day labourer. It was very tough for her to manage her family of six members with the petty amount of income of her husband, Sahara said.  

Disappointed Sahara began contemplating how to get rid of acute poverty by contributing financially to her impoverished family. Then she took training of sewing readymade garments. After receiving training for 3 months she started sewing handloom garments and began to earn good money. Thus she brought financial solvency to her shrinking family and became optimistic of hoping for a better life of their three children.

Like her thousands of rural poor women at different areas in the district have become financially solvent by sewing handloom garments and marketing the products and thus making economic contribution to their families.

A number of government organisations such as the Women Affairs Department, the Social Service Department and reputed NGO's like RDRS, ASA, BRAC are playing an important role in providing them with training sewing machines and cash credits.

These female sewers mainly produce garments like blouse, petticoat, semiz, kamiz, salwar, scurf, baby wears, shirt, pant, fotua and caps. Each of them earn at least Tk 150-Tk 220 per day, sources said.

Kajoli (28) at Khansama village under Kawnia Upazila in the district told The Financial Express that once they suffered much with her husband's paltry amount of income. Then she took training on readymade garments and started earning money thus she found the way to conquer poverty. She now earns Tk 150 to 200 per day from sewing baby wears. Presently she is living happily with her family, she further said.

Encouraged by her success many extreme poor of women in her area have begun to change their fortune by sewing handloom garments and marketing those products, she added.     sayedmofidulbabu@gmail.com