Life Changing Story of Anarkoli
Most of the women in the rural areas of Bangladesh is helpless as they have no education and they are dependent on agricultural activities. In the rural areas, almost in each family women play a vital role to contribute financially. Anarkoli Begum is one of them!
Anarkoli is a housewife living in Bekarkanda village under Gouripur Upazila of Mymensingh district. She has one son and two daughters. Both of her son and daughters are studying. Her husband is a marginal farmer. They have no cultivable land of their own. Thus, they cultivate in leased land and produce crops by which they maintain their family.
“Suddenly my husband became sick and he could not do any work. I fell in great difficulties and drowned into despair. At that moment, I tried to share my trauma with my family members and neighbors to get mental satisfaction. Then I decided to stop the education of my son (when my son attended class eight) to reduce the expense. After a few days, my son joined a garment factory aiming to support the family financially. It was very difficult for me to maintain a family with little income. I could not afford the study cost of my daughter and the treatment cost of my husband. My husband had died after a few years,” Anarkoli was describing her hardship.
“I came to know about ADRA Bangladesh from my neighbours and I decided to meet ADRA Bangladesh staff. I got the membership of Mohila Unnayn Somity group # 10 in 2012. In order to obtain better knowledge, I regularly participated in all sorts of group activities. I received tailoring training for one month from ADRA Bangladesh and took a loan from my group and purchased a sewing machine. After completing my training in sewing, I train my daughter so she could also do sewing work and could earn some extra money for our family. Now, both we are doing sewing work and we are earning 4,000-5,000 taka per month,” Anarkoli was telling about her effort to get financial emancipation.
Besides, Anarkoli took another loan from the group and bought a cow worth 23,000 taka. After two years of rearing, she sold that cow at 48,000 taka. By selling that cow she bought 20 decimals of cultivable land.
Anarkoli is getting 1000 kg of rice per year from the land. Now, she has her own land, cow and sewing machine and achieved financial stability. She has the ability to maintain her family smoothly. She can afford the educational expenses of her children and can afford good foods for them as well.
