Self-help shows them way to get over poverty

RANGPUR, Jan 22: Akhtara Banu (27), wife of Bablu Miah of Dhumerkuthi village under Kawnia Upazila in Rangpur district was passing her days in abject poverty even four years ago. Her husband was a farm labourer. It was very hard for her to manage her family of six members with the paltry amount of income of her husband, said Akhtara.  

Disheartened, she began contemplating how to get rid of the curse of poverty.  Then she took training of sewing readymade garments. After receiving training for 3 months she started sewing handloom garments and began to earn satisfactory money. Thus she found the way to salvage her shrinking family with significant contribution.  

Like Akhtara hundreds of rural women in Rangpur and its adjacent districts have become financially solvent by sewing handloom garments and marketing the products and thus making financial contribution to their poverty-stricken families.  

Some government organisations like the Women Affairs Department, the Social Service Department and reputed NGO's such as BRAC, RDRS, ASA are playing vital roles in providing them with training sewing machines and cash credits.

These female sewing hands mainly produce garments like blouse, petticoat, semiz, kamiz, salwar, scurf, baby wears, shirt, pant, fotua and caps.

Morseda Begum (30) at Jaigirhat area under Mithapukur Upazila in the district told The Financial Express that once they had to struggle a lot with her husband's limited income then she took training on readymade garments and began earning money and thus she found the way to overcome poverty. She now earns Tk 180 to 200 per day from sewing baby wears. Now she is living contentedly with her family, she also said.

Encouraged by her success a number of women in her area have changed their fate by sewing handloom garments and marketing those products.  Thus they found the way to conquer extreme poverty and set good example for others.