Govt supports income generating activities for women

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DHAKA, May 30, 2018 (BSS/UNICEF FEATURE) – It was difficult to bear all
expenses for a eleven-member family of Amina following her father’s death as
she was only six and the income of her service-holder elder sister and
grocery shop owner brother’s was not well enough.

When she was just HSC level student, Amina started tailoring house in 2007
with a cost of Taka 1,50,000 at Feni district town to bring solvency to her
family.

The initial investment came from her family members and near and dear
ones. And it was Jatiyo Mohila Sangstha, a government financed project that
gave her loan for expansion of the business.

Initially, it was a challenge for Amina to make profit for lack of
machineries and raw materials. Besides, the people around used to either
raise their brows, or make faces, or even taunted as she was at her
adolescent age. But she had her firm determination in mind to move forward to
achieve her desired success.

Now, she has been able to bring happiness to the face of all of her family
members as her small tailoring shop has started paying good returns. Though
she had so many obstacles, she continued her study and completed Master’s
level in social work from Feni Government College.

“At that time, it was difficult for me to continue business and study at
the same time. But I had no other options to go ahead. Now, I think, I could
do. Now my monthly average income is Taka 30,000 and capital of my business
is now over Taka 4,00,000,” said Bibi Amina Sharmin, who is the owner of
Sharmin Dress House at Ukil Para.

“But, I will have to go a long way for my family as well as for other needy
women. I want to do something for other women like me,” she added.

She expressed her gratitude to the government for providing supports to the
women entrepreneurs through adopting various women friendly policies.

“Jatiyo Mohila Sangstha helped me expand my business. In 2008, I took Taka
45,000 as loan for purchasing raw materials. Later, I took loan several
times. Now, I have also Taka 60,000 loan with it,” she said.

The loan amount is very low since the people has experienced big amount of
loan which become classified in several banks. But the tiny amount of loan
has brought solvency in many families like Amina. Besides, recovery rate of
the tiny amount of loan is better than big amount of loan.

Another young lady-Nayma Sultana Bobi has already became success in her
business in the same town by taking financial supports from the Jatiyo Mohila
Sangstha.

“From my childhood, I wanted to do something myself. So, I opened the
boutiques house about eight years ago for contributing to my family income.
At that time my investment was only Taka 10,000 to Taka 12,000,” said Bobi,
who is the owner of Doraemon Boutiques House.

Later, she said, the supports of the Mohila Sangstha and her husband, she
has expanded her business and opened a showroom in Feni town.

Expressing gratitude to Mohila Sangstha, Bobi said, “At first I took Taka
30,000. I cleared the loan in scheduled time. Later, I took loan several
times.”

Talking to BSS, Chairman of Jatiya Mohila Sangstha Feni District Committee
Khadiza Akter Khanam said about four thousand people of the district got
benefits from the Micro-Credit progarmme for women self-employment.

“Since 2003-04, we have disbursed Taka 80,95,000 among 567 women
entrepreneurs in the area. The rate of recovery of the credit programme is
about 80 percent,” she added.

She informed that the Feni district committee is also running another
programme, titled “Self-Work Supportive Loan” project under the special fund
of the prime minister.

“Under the project, a total of Taka 5,70,000 has been allocated. The
allocated amount has already disbursed among the 137 women. The rate of
recovery of the programme is 88 percent,” she added.

She said the government is working for women through providing them
training and financial supports for involving them in various income-
generating activities.

“We are operating different training programmes, including swing and
embroidery, catering and poultry development,” she added.