DHAKA, Sept 1, 2020 (BSS) – Sanjida Akter, 21, hailing from Uttor Burirchar under Hathajari thana in Chattogram district, has found now a better way for her livelihood after taking technology-based training from a government recognized renowned training centre and became self-employed one as she started her own venture buying a swing machine.
Fighting with poverty since her childhood, Sanjida, with her handsome earnings, has now become a strong support for her 50-year old father whose income was not enough to maintain their eight-member family.
“I am third of six children of my parents. I had great interest in education but my father unable to run the expenses, decided to arrange marriage for me due to financial crisis. When I was in class IX in 2013, I was forced to get early marriage,” said Sanjida, while sharing her bitter experience of her life at the early stage.
After her marriage, her in-laws started forcing her for giving large amount of money and furniture as dowry. The in-laws along with her husband started to torture and abuse her increasingly. Her father unable to ensure her daughter’s safekeeping at the in-laws had no other choice but see her divorced and torn.
After divorce, Sanjida said, she decided to resume her study again. She stepped up to establish her own career and got admitted in school again. By this time, she got to know about UCEP Bangladesh from one of her cousins who was a part of community mobilization campaign.
After coming in the UCEP Technical School, the Child and Woman Rights Advocacy counselor had a brief discussion with her. She became so inspired by the counseling that she immediately got admitted in the Industrial Sewing Operations (ISO) trade.
After her completion of skills training courses from UCEP, she bought a sewing machine and started her career in self-employment. She also works at the Burirchar Kindergarten as a teacher. Her monthly income is nearly around Taka 9,000 monthly and Sanjida now finds herself financially solvent.
Beside all these, she is continuing her studies in BA 2nd year at Quaish College. Rather than being discouraged by her past, Sanjida endures to cross all the hindrances in her life and hopes to engrave her name as one of the successful woman entrepreneurs. Sanjida expressed her thankfulness to UCEP Bangladesh for all the support and care.
Talking to BSS, Executive Director of UCEP Bangladesh Tahsinah Ahmed said UCEP Bangladesh envisages a society upholding good governance where all children and youth are able to develop their potentials in a child and youth friendly environment without any discrimination.
The non-government organization (NGO) started its journey back in 1972 by a New Zealander, Lindsay Allan Cheyne who came to Bangladesh originally to help war victims, she informed.
After four decades, Tahsinah Ahmed said, UCEP Bangladesh is serving annually around 35,000 children and youth through general education and Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET).
The UCEP ED said the hazardous child labour is likely to increase due to COVID-19 and urged authorities concerned to support necessary finance to ensure skilled manpower for the country’s development.
Recently, UCEP Director Md Iqbal Hossain said, the National Skills Development Authority (NSDA), under the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), registered UCEP Mirpur Technical School, UCEP Ambagan Chattogram and UCEP Jatrabari Technical School, Saddam Market, (Matuail) Jatrabari branch, Dhaka.