DHAKA, April 3, 2022 (BSS) – Jahanara Begum is no more poor now as she is a well-off woman entrepreneur. She established herself in the society as self-reliant. Currently, she is a source of inspiration to many dreamer female. But, such iconic image of her isn’t created in a day. It comes gradually through her hard work.

   
Forty-five-year-old Jahanara had a great desire to study. To fulfill her dream, she even was admitted to a school. But, she didn’t continue her study after class five for poverty. She was married off at the age of 14. Her husband’s family was also poor.

But, this time, she didn’t step back as like she did earlier in herself. She was stubborn to make her children study.

Poverty couldn’t suppress Jahanara. She was determined to do something to make her children educated and help family. From indomitable will of being self-reliant, she made a nursery through diligent works that made her a successful entrepreneur.

She received national award and was honoured with ‘Joyeeta Award’ in recognition of hard work. She got the award as successful woman in the district in 2010.

Jahanar used to live at Chalbandh village under Bishwambharpur upazila of Sunamganj district. She has two children. Her house is situated on three acres of land and is surrounded by various types of fruit tresses including mango, jackfruit, blackberry, orange, litchi, papaya, guava, coconut, betel nut, custard apple and olive.

She also planted green Malta saplings as well as mango plants including Haribhanga, Himsagar and Amrapali varieties.

Jahanara said, “she had a family of 10-member including her brothers and sisters and they were leading a miserable life. She was married off at the age of 14. Her husband also had no land. He was a farmer. Later they were blessed with two children”.

She had a family of poverty. So, she realized that she must have to do something for her family.

Their elder son Belal Hossain passed primary school in 2006. But they had not enough money to keep continuing his education.

At this stage, Jahanara came to know that the women of her village formed a samity (association). She then became its member and after few days, she got a call for training from upazila.

Then, she received three-day training on nursery at the upazila. For the first time in her life, she went to the upazila as she never goes out from her village. She had some seeds of chili and papaya and started her nursery. Later, she took a loan of Taka 4000 to expand her initiative.

After the saplings have grown up, Jahanara’s husband Hasan for the first time took 50 tender plants to the local village market and sold those at handsome price.

Jahanara became very happy to see all of the saplings being sold that inspired her to proceed ahead.

“I paid the loan in six months with the money got from selling of saplings,” Jahanara said.

 After seeing the profit at the initial stage, she moved on and the income from the nursery increases gradually, she said.

Now, people of her upazila come to buy saplings from her nursery. She along with her husband takes care of the plants. She also employed three persons to look after the saplings at their nursery.

“Currently, we have about 60,000 saplings in the nursery and we grow up about three lakh plants every year,” Jahanara said.

She also said along with nursery, she started fish farming in two ponds since 2009 to get more earnings.