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Dulena Leading her Group and Leading a Better Life

Like most rural Bangladeshi women, Dulena Khatun got married very young and therefore lost the opportunity to get an education. She always stayed at home to take care of her family and never thought of having a bigger dream than this, but after joining FH, her horizons widened and now she is an active leader of ‘Surma’ (name of a river in Bangladesh) learning and savings group.

On 26 December 2012, Dulena joined an FH-funded learning and savings group. Since then she started to save 10 TK (about 10 p) each week in her group. The group’s members also elected her to be their leader. She participated in FH-supported training about leadership and sewing. Now she can earn money for her family by sewing cloths for her neighbors and community people. She also participated in cow-fattening training supported by FH and is raising a cow in a barn of her house. Her earnings are contributing to her family’s progress and lifting them out of poverty.

Dulena also went to a couple’s workshop with her husband. This greatly improved their relationship. Now they are a happy family and she maintains good relationships with her husband and other family members. Her children are going to school regularly and she is leading her group members.

As group leader, Dulena also participates in VO (Village Organisation) community meetings. She wants to set a good example of leadership and family life, which will be a role model for others in the village to follow. She hopes that her children and all the other children of the community will be well-educated, to prepare them for leadership in their community. Her dream is for leaders to be able to identify any problems, so that community members can come together to solve them. She wants to contribute to the development of her family, group and community.

Dulena says, “I am trying to be an ideal mother and leader in my group. I have participated in different training and workshops; these were very helpful to solve my problems in family and group. I have learned how to solve the problems. I am grateful to FH for all their support.”

- Dulena leading her group

#Bangladesh #women #Empowerment #charity #woa #womenofaction #story #leadership

Jasmin Akter, becoming literate

Jasmin Akter lives in a village named ‘Vabonhati’ in the Dhaka district. As a child she went to Brac school for a short period of time. Because she had to help her mother with the household chores, she left school very young and, gradually, she lost the opportunity to get an education. Jasmin got married when she was underage. She had to move to her in-laws’ house when she started her married life. Her illiteracy made her feel ashamed and inadequate. She couldn’t do her daily household accounts. She couldn’t read the things she needed to. She could not even read the road signs or bus names when she needed to travel. Her husband used to scold her about it. She couldn’t help her children with their studies or homework and found this all very upsetting.

When FH started working in her community, a survey was conducted among adults who might benefit from the literacy class in her village. Jasmin described her grief at being illiterate and her intense desire to learn. She asked FH to start a literacy class in her village and she committed to participating and supporting the group. Consequently, FH started the ‘Doel’ (Wagtail) literacy class in the village and she is a regular student.

Jasmin has successfully completed the first book for her literacy class and has reached Chapter 27 of book 2! Nowadays she can read, write and do her own accounts. She can help her children with their studies and homework. She can also do her personal book-keeping singlehanded. She is working hard towards successfully completing the adult literacy program.

Jasmin believes that education is the backbone of the nation. Without knowledge people are powerless, and the only way to get that knowledge is through education. She has goals beyond her own education. Jasmin’s dream is to set up a small library in her house, with the help of her family so that the people of her village can learn about the country, weather, and modern cultivation systems and so on.

Jasmin says, “I want to learn always. I want to help others to study. I wish to see an educated and an ideal society.” Jasmin wishes to complete her adult literacy program. She wants to help her children to study well. She wants to build up a bright future for her children.

- Jasmin with her family.

#Bangladesh #charity #woa #womenofaction #adult literacy #story #women #Empowerment

Parvin Aktar, Learning & Thriving

Parvin Aktar is a housewife in ‘Shialkol’ village. Her husband is a butcher. Parvin’s schooling was interrupted in childhood because her parents did not value her education as much as they valued her marriage, because they were illiterate. They were poor and they decided to get her married as early as possible. After that, her studies stopped immediately.

On 3 January 2016, FH started an adult literacy program in her village; she joined this ‘Shapla’ (name of a flower) group and started learning. In this class, the basic lessons are designed to teach the Bangla alphabet and numbers. Parvin is now both literate and numerate. She can calculate her savings in the learning and savings group without help. She can also calculate her family’s monthly expenses, monthly income and expenditure. She can read and write her own mobile number as well. She can maintain her family’s accounts and do other essential calculations. Her leadership capacity also developed after attending the adult literacy class. Now her husband respects her and asks for her advice in family matters.

Parvin feels much more confident now that she is literate. She feels that the window onto a new world has been opened by the education she has received. She says, “I feel so good now. I wasn’t able to read or write before but now I can read and write. I feel fortunate that I got the chance to start my education again. My dream was to be an educated woman. FH has given me the opportunity and I am happy that I took it. Now I can read, write and calculate. I can understand my children’s lessons and books. My future dream is to increase my knowledge by widening my studies. I want to help others with my knowledge and be a good woman.”

#Bangladesh #women #charity #womenofaction #woa #literacy #story #Empowerment

How Stotota Group discovered the benefits of pooling their resources

Stotota (Honesty) learning and saving group was formed in December 2012, consisting of 15 members. It took a while for FH staff to persuade them, but eventually the members of the group decided to invest part of their capital in income-generating activities. Together they bought a cow worth 16,000 taka (154.93 £) by collecting contributions from each group member. All the group members were very happy to buy the cow, particularly because it had such a positive impact on their finances! Now they are also eager to make further joint investments in the future.

Group leader, Nurjahan, says, “At first we did not agree to buy a cow and we tried to receive profit individually. Because we did not realize the power of unity which FH staff tried to teach us, we couldn’t understand that. But at last we took FH staff advice and we bought a cow as a group investment. As we are receiving profits, we are realizing the importance of group investment and we are very grateful to FH for this.”

#Bangladesh #charity #womenofaction #woa #women #Empowerment #story #income #livelihood

Nipa’s Story: From Housekeeper to Bookkeeper!

Nipa Khan is the cashier of “Ruposhi Bangla” (Beautiful Bangladesh) learning and savings group. Like most of the Bangladeshi village women, she also got married at a young age and she was always dependent on her husband. But after she joined a FH supported learning and savings group, her role within the family changed as well as her becoming the group’s cashier.

After doing the cashier and leadership training with FH, Nipa is now able to maintain the group’s accounts book and cash-related activities. She can also make entries in group members’ cash-books and pass-books properly. She can maintain the group’s monthly accounts and cash-handling process. She is able to do the bank correspondence as a representative of her group. Every month she now presents and explains the financial situation to the other members of the group.

All of the activities Nipa does for her group would have been quite impossible for her a few years back but now she is empowered to work as an active leader and is the sole cashier of her group.

Nipa says, "At the beginning I was bit nervous to maintain the group accounts and handling the cash, cash-book, pass-book, calculator and other activities. But now I have overcome the nervousness and I can use the resources and maintain the group accounts. So now I am very happy that I can do it.”

#Bangladesh #charity #womenofaction #woa #women #Empowerment #story #bookkeeping #leadership

Polashi, Bringing Positive Changes in Her Life

Polashi Rani is a member of Mukti learning and savings group. She lives in Nobipur village in the southern part of Bangladesh. She is an active member and deputy leader of her group. She always takes care of other members of her group. But in her own life, her relationship with her husband was very difficult and stressful.

In Bangladesh, violence against women and children is very common. Men often beat their wives and women are virtually powerless to do anything about it. Gender discrimination is rife and women are the prime victims.

FH always work with local community people to make them aware of these problems. To this end, FH arranged a “Couples’ Workshop” to raise awareness of the issue, to provide information about the relevant legislation, and to show the steps that can be taken to prevent it. All the participants of Mukti learning and savings group, including Polashi, participated in this workshop. In the workshops, couples also receive relationship counselling based on FH values, and practical tips on how to reflect those values in their day-to-day lives.

Polashi’s husband also attended the workshop and he learned how couples can work together to make their relationship better. After the workshop, FH staff followed up with Polashi and her husband to find out if their relationship had changed for the better. Gradually Polashi started to see changes in her husband’s behaviour. He made an effort to improve their relationship. He started helping her with household chores and taking care of their two daughters.

Polashi says, “My husband changed a lot and he takes care of me and my daughters more than before. Now there is peace in my family. I am thankful to FH for counselling my husband. I see a bright future for my family.”

Polashi is much happier now, and believes that it is because of FH that she was able to see positive behavioural change in her husband.

#Bangladesh #women #charity #womenofaction #woa #Empowerment #story #law #southern coast

Sharmin Escaping the Cycle of Poverty

Sharmin Akater and her husband Shajahan Mia live in Chor Borobila, a small village in Bangladesh, with their two children. As is so often the case in Bangladesh, Chor Borobila is an under-developed community. Women there are often oppressed and neglected and are therefore unable to earn money for their families and to escape the cycle of poverty, but Sharmin has broken the mould, with help from FH!

In June 2013, Sharmin joined FH Borsha Mohila Unnoyon (Rain Women Development) learning and savings group. She started having literacy lessons in her group. The group members also started collecting capital for future investment. Sharmin took a 10,000 Taka (£90) loan from her learning and savings group and bought a cow. She also invested the money in agricultural work. Soon she started seeing income from her investments. Now she is earning money by selling the cow’s milk in the local market and also keeps some for her family. Every month she makes a profit of around 800 Taka (£7.20) from the cow. She also made an investment in her husband’s tailoring business.

Sharmin also works with her husband in his small tailoring shop. Both of them are making profits from their business as well as making money from her livestock. She also received mother leader training from FH and now she is working as volunteer mother leader spreading the health awareness message in the community.

Sharmin is earning for her family, educating her children and bringing a brighter future for all of them. She says, “FH transformed our family. I am involved with FH and its advantages are great which gives me lot of benefits for my child and myself. I am working hard to bring prosperity in my family with the help of FH.”

#Bangladesh #women #Empowerment #livelihood #stories #woa #womenofaction #income #charity

Shahanaz, Sewing A Better Future

‘A woman’s duty is to stay at home, take care of the children and cook for her family.’ This is a common belief held by men in Bangladesh. But one woman from Dhularsar village broke the imposed gender stereotype and started earning her own money just by using her sewing machine.

How did she do this? Shahanaz Begum, living in the disaster-prone area of the south coast, changed the idea of the man being the breadwinner of a family. Dhulasar is a small village, where generally the men are dominant and women are not allowed to work to earn money. Shahanaz got married when she was only fourteen years old and never had the chance to return to school. She became a mother very young and eventually had three children. She was therefore unable to continue her studies or work to earn money. She remained dependent on her husband when she wanted to feel empowered towards independence.

In March of 2011, Shahanaz joined Meghna learning and savings group and her life has totally changed since then! After joining the group she attended adult literacy classes and received lessons on health, hygiene, law, values etc. Meanwhile, FH started providing sewing training to the members of learning and savings groups and Shahanaz also participated in sewing lessons with other ladies of her group. After successful completion of her training, she took a 5,000 Taka (about £45) loan from her group, bought a sewing machine and started her own sewing business. Since then, she makes around 3-4,000 Taka (about £27-36) each month to support her family. She takes orders from her neighbors as well as sewing fishing nets for the fishermen of the community. As the quality of her work is very good, many people from neighboring villages come to her to place orders for sewing. With her earnings, she made a bigger tin-house for her family, took a lease on a piece of land and bought fishing net for her husband. She is also paying back her loan in installments and saving for future investment in her learning and savings group.

Shahanaz says, “It is very important for women to earn money to be independent. Today I am happy because I am earning my own money. I don’t need to depend on my husband’s income and I can pay my bills and have what I need. I think all women should think about having alternative employment for themselves, so they can be independent.”

-Shahanaz with her family

#Bangladesh #women #charity #womenofaction #woa #Empowerment #stories #income #livelihood #southern coast #pbcoastal

Usha Making Progress By Running Her Business

Usha Rani lives in the remote village of Kollapara, in southern Bangladesh’s Patuakhali area. This southern coastal region is very prone to natural disasters and catastrophes. Due to the extreme saltiness of the water and the soil, agricultural potential in this area is very limited. This meant that Usha and her neighbours, as well as the wider community, were facing extreme poverty. With no income source and four daughters to feed, Usha was in a very difficult situation and did not know how to solve the problem.

As FH started working in her community, in May 2010 Usha joined the FH-funded ‘Sandhani’ (which means ‘Search’) learning and saving group, and was selected as deputy cashier of the group. She learned basic literacy skills as well as having lessons on health, sanitation, values, law and legal rights etc. On the advice of one of the FH staff, Usha also took a 6,000 taka loan (about £50) from her group, to start a business making ‘Chun’ at her house. ‘Chun’ is mineral limestone which is turned into liquid form and it is generally used for the preparation of betel leaves for chewing, and for painting walls in Bangladesh. Usha learned how to make ‘Chun’ at her home, using snails as her raw material, and started selling it in the local market. Soon her business was making a profit and eventually she managed to pay back the loan money which she had taken from her group. Now she makes enough money to take care of her daughters and her husband also helps her in her work.

Usha says. “I worked really hard to bring financial stability in my family. With hard work and determination, all women can manage to create alternative employment for themselves. My husband helps me in my business and I also help him in his work. Having a serving attitude towards each other has brought prosperity to our lives.”

Her future dream is for her daughters to be educated and self-sufficient. She also wants to buy a piece of land to make a vegetable garden and expand her business in various ways to earn more money for her family. What a turnaround for Usha and her family, to go from barely surviving to having dreams for the future! This has been made possible simply by giving her, and others like her, the skills and the confidence they need to change their own lives.

(Usha and her husband might not look very happy in these photos, but this is because in Bangladesh it is traditional not to smile in photographs. We can assure you that Usha is full of smiles!)

#Bangladesh #charity #womenofaction #woa #Empowerment #stories #income #livelihood #southern coast

Kaleda, A True Hero Saving Lives During Disaster

Kaleda Parvin is a real-life hero who has been working with her community people to reduce the impact of disaster in the southern coast region of Bangladesh. Kaleda lives in small village named ‘Dhulashar’ which is situated in disaster prone area. She was born and raised in a poor family and at age of only fifteen, when she was in ninth grade, she was forced to get married with a much older man.

Since then her struggle with life has begun and she never got the chance to get back to school or continue her studies. Because of the superstitions of community members, she or other women of the community were not allowed to go out and work to earn for their families. The situation was getting worse for all the women of the community and Kaleda did not know how to improve the situation.

In 2008, after the cyclone ‘Sidr’, FH started working in the community. To change the situation, in July of 2008, Kaleda joined FH funded ‘Shiuli’ (name of a flower) learning and savings group and eventually became the ‘Accountant’ of the group. Seeing her dedication and concern for the community people, FH provided her further training on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Preparedness. FH also provided her various trainings on IGA (Income Generating Activities Disaster), Disaster Volunteerism, Pre-school Management etc.

Now Kaleda works as a FH DRR and Preparedness volunteer; teaches the community members especially women and children how to reduce the impact of disaster by preparing themselves. During the cyclones ‘Aila’ and ‘Mahasen’, she worked as leader of volunteers to reduce the impact of disaster and prepare the community people. She also networks with other NGOs and government authority to create better awareness on DRR and Preparedness among the community members.

Kaleda says, “I am very happy that FH has given me the opportunity to save the lives of people of my community. In time of disaster, I can’t stay calm and do nothing because I think God has created all of us to help each other and I have the responsibility to help all people of my community”.

#women #Empowerment #woa #womenofaction #disaster risk reduction #stories #charity #Bangladesh #southern coast

Ashiya Earning Money by Selling Offspring of Goat

Ashiya is a house-wife, living in Kamalpur community. Her husband used to work as village politician. As village politician does not have any stable income, Ashiya always straggled to manage the expenses of her family. Poverty was an inevitable part of her life. It was very difficult for her to provide necessary support to her 3 children.

In this situation, she joined FH supported ‘Togor’ (name of flower) learning and savings group. After joining the group she started to save money as well as started to take lessons from the group. In 2014 after the flood in Kamalpur, she received a goat as relief goods. After few months the goat gave birth of five offspring. When the offspring grew older, she sold two of them for 7,000 Taka (89.71 USD). Ashiya used the money for the education of her children and for her family.

Ashiya says. “Before joining FH I had no way to earn money. But now I have goats and I can earn money by selling offspring as well as selling milk in the market. Now I can support my children’s education and support my husband.”

#women #empowerment #charity #bangladesh #income #stories #livelihood #kamalpur #womenofaction #woa

Shirina Running her Own Business of Designing Sari

In May 2013, Shirina joined FH funded Rupali learning and savings group. After joining the group, FH organized a handicraft training session. She participated in the training and finished it successfully. After finishing the training, she received a loan of 5,000 taka (64.64 USD) from her group and she bought a frame and other instruments to start a small business of doing sequin work on sari (ladies dress). Soon she started getting orders of saris.

Now Shirina has two frames for work and she also hired four women of the community to help her with orders. Every week she design one sari and four women work with her to finish the orders. After paying her staffs, she earns 7,000-8,000 (90-103 USD) taka each week.

Shirina is happy that she can help her husband with family expenses. In future Shirina want to expand her business by hiring more women and by taking more orders. She wants to create jobs for poor women of her community. Shirina says, “I feel very proud of myself because I am able to contribute to help to improve my family situation as well as my community members. I believe that by depending on God and working hard, anybody can do the same as I did establishing my own business.”

#women #Empowerment #charity #Bangladesh #womenofaction #woa #stories #income #livelihood

For first time, I was scared and nervous to deliver the health lessons in neighbor circle. But now I have overcome the nervousness and I hope will deliver better lessons in the future. I am very happy to make my neighbors aware of mother's and child’s health. This knowledge will help them to lead a safe and happy life.

Rubia Aktar, Volunteer Mother Leader of Balia CFCT, FH Bangladesh.

#women #Empowerment #Bangladesh #charity #health #womenofaction #woa #stories #mother leader

Fishing Net Changed Renu’s Life

Renu Begum is a member of Seuly (name of a flower) learning and savings group. She is a widow living with her two grandchildren and daughter-in-law in Patuakhali area of Bangladesh. After the death of her only son, she did not know how she can manage her family as her son was the only earning member of her family. In this situation, she took 2000 Taka ($25.85) loan from her group to buy a fishing net. She started using the net to catch fishes in rivers, lakes and each day she earns around 200-300 Taka ($2.58-3.88) by catching fishes and selling them in local market. She is also paying back her loan installment as well as paying for the education of her grandchildren.

She says, “I am proud of myself that I am able to manage my family with my earning. I am able to put a smile on the faces of my grandchildren. Please pray for me and my family so I can keep their smiling face forever.”

#bangladesh #charity #womenofaction #woa #story #livelihood #pb coastal #women

Ashiya Helping Her Grandchildren to Become Educated

Ashiya Begem is a member of Jaba learning and savings group. In 2012 she joined FH funded learning and savings group and received literacy training for 8 months. Now she is learning lessons on health, law and values as well as savings money for the future investments.

But she was not literate before joining the women group. Ashiya was married in age of 12 years and became mother of two children in an early age. She went to school till 4th grade but had to stop her education because of her family’s financial hardship. After almost 35 years, she got second opportunity to start her education. In her group she learned how to read and write; how to calculate; how to do basic math; how to give signature; how to write address. Being literate boost up her confident level and she is more aware of the important of education for her grandchildren.

She says, “I got the second opportunity to be educated. I want to make my grandchildren educated as well. I want to help them with their education.”

#Bangladesh #women #Empowerment #charity #womenofaction #woa #literacy #story

Moyna, Sewing and Earning

Moyna is a member of “Lal Joba” (Red Chinese Rose) learning and saving group of FH Bangladesh. She took sewing training from FH and now she is earning around 2,000 taka each month by sewing clothes. She uses this money for buying necessary goods for her family as well as for the education of her children. She says, “I have increased my income by sewing cloths with the help of FH. As a result, I have secured my children's education. So I am very happy that my daughter can go to school.”

#women #Empowerment #charity #Bangladesh #woa #womenofaction #income #story #livelihood

I was suffering from poverty but after starting this small business of making bamboo baskets, I can buy my daily necessary food and some goods for my child. I am very thankful to my learning and savings group assistance.

Archona Rani, member of ‘ Jibon-sathi’ (Life-Partner) Learning and Savings Group.

#women #Empowerment #Bangladesh #charity #woa #womenofaction #dhaka #income #story

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