Fatima Akhter, Shyamnagar, Satkhira
Taslima Khatun is a 51 year old fisherwoman living at Datinakhali village under Shyamnagar upazila in the district of Satkhira with her physically challenged husband Md. Abu Shama (62). She has two sons and one daughter. Previously, Abu Shama used to help her wife Taslima as a helping hand in catching crab and fish nearby rivers but now he is not capable to do so. Old age makes Shama giving up his physically demanding works. Thus, the burden of running the family invariably falls on Taslima Khatun’s shoulders. The poverty cycle was eternal in the family, and with the growing price of daily commodities, it was becoming increasingly impossible to make her ends meet. She believed that poverty is as a divine destiny that they must bear.
However, in order to lessen the weight of misery, Taslima set the marriage of her daughter Lipi Khatun off to a day laborer at the age of fourteen. Taslima’s elder son who is a day labour separated immediately just after his marriage and did not financially support his parents. Her younger son also did the same to them and old aged couple felt into hardship. Taslima could not manage money for the treatment of her husband at all.
Experiencing financial turmoil at one point, Taslima thought if they would have a small grocery, her husband could run it as he can’t walk. In view of that, Taslima borrowed some cash and opened a grocery store. Abu Shama was running the grocery and Taslima started working as a day laborer besides helping her husband when she managed time. Things quickly turned worsen. Abu Shama even failed to run the grocery successfully due to lack of skills and in sufficient capital. It was also not possible to buy more goods to sell. As a result, the business did not go well. The borrowed money had to be repaid with profit which she got into more trouble. Taslima became a devastated person.
Learning from the previous failure, at one point, Taslima Khatun and Abu Shama decided to re-start the grocery and run it carefully and stop selling without cash payment. Taslima Khatun was thinking to borrow some money to re-open the grocery store.
There is a saying goes; God helps those who help themselves. This is so true in Taslima’s life. Out of the blue, she came to know about BARCIK, a Partner Organization of NETZ-Bangladesh which is launching a project. Acquaintances in the community brought news of PORIBESH project to her. Getting involved as the project participant Taslima received a total of BDT 9990 as livelihood support from the PORIBESH Project and invested to re-open the grocery shop.
Currently the new grocery shop is running better than before and both Taslima and her husband manage to sell on an average of BDT 350-400 per day. Taslima Khatun is happy now and gets back her confidence as she doesn’t need to depend on her sons for their (Herself and her husband) treatment; even they can manage their expenses by themselves. Thus, with the assistance from the PORIBESH project Taslima is now able to cope with her dismal financial conditions and also she found a path to be self-reliant.
Translated by ABM Touhidul Alam
