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Arati is after a Far-reaching Ambition
From my salad days I was always keen on making me
acceptable to others around me, though due to severe poverty of my family I
was neglected by the neighbors purposely. So when I got the chance to join
the BEES program I dreamt that I had to materialize my desired inclination
through its poverty alleviation program. It was really hurting for me that
there were times when my neighbors did not want to lend me only ten taka.
Now they do not hesitate to loan me even ten thousand taka. To my utmost
satisfaction, I have achieved this through social empowerment.
My name is Arati. When I was 16 years old I was wedded off
by my elder brother without caring for my opinion. My husband was a
carpenter. After my marriage I came to know that I was not his first wife. I
was very much outraged mentally hearing this shocking news. So I decided
that I would not stay in my husband’s house any longer. Since then I am
staying in my elder brother’s family. Now I am 45.
When I remember the woeful days my cheeks are flooded with
tears. In that cursed period we had to go without food almost every day.
BEES first stimulated my hidden potentials to bring change in my distressed
fate, by becoming a group member.
We had a tiny restaurant at the footpath in the peri-urban
areas of Sreepur under the district of Gazipur operated by the family
members. The income from the restaurant was not so well to fulfill the
demand of food everyday. It was necessary to invest more money in the
restaurant in order to increase the earning. But how would the additional
money be managed? When I was thinking over this great problem a group-leader
of BEES advised me that I could extend the restaurant-trade by taking a loan
from BEES if I became a group member. Hearing this optimistic word I was
electrified with a spark of hope instantly. Then I was enrolled in BEES
Samiti. At first the Samiti loaned three thousand taka to me under the
Micro-credit Program of BEES in August 1998 which I invested in my
restaurant. My restaurant trade oriented enterprise was going on in full
swing by means of diligent endeavor and tireless perseverance. After paying
back the money in installment next year I took five-thousand taka loan for
the same purpose. The motivation of BEES has capacitated me thinking and
proving that women should be empowered for the sake of a better future. The
most important point is that, somehow women have to be aware in order to be
not only good mothers but also prove themselves effective and as best human
resources.
Although from long ago I was very much fascinated by BEES’
activities, especially by the poverty alleviation program, but I would not
dare to become a part of BEES-program. Because I had some misconceptions
about it too. One day I was observing weekly sessions of BEES at a courtyard
close to my house from a distance with profound eagerness. The group-leader
marked me and asked me to come to her. Then I disclosed to her my distressed
condition. Hearing the details of the painful events in my life she
suggested me to be enrolled in BEES in order to be provided with reasonable
loan and subsequently become empowered economically, socially, politically
and culturally availing ‘BEES’ seba package.
As the saying goes, man is the architect of his own
fortune. Strong confidence and far-reaching initiatives can groom up the
potentials more efficient and edified. So to upgrade myself with success in
life I intended that I would have to continue gathering courage to combat
the misfortune of poverty. In course of time with more loans from BEES I
have built my house and promoted the restaurant-trade respectively. Now I am
not dependent any more. I have not to ask any one for assistance as a
compassionate charity. Lastly I took twelve thousand taka loan for a new
initiative, i.e. goldsmith-trade. Thus my desired goal has begun to be
successful. As a reward of my sustainable endurance and assiduity now I am
the proud owner of a restaurant, a house and a goldsmith-trade center. Now
my monthly income is about Tk. 7,000. After meeting the family expenses I
can save Tk. 1,500-2,000 per month, which is a great achievement for me.
The whole enterprise has helped me to make a total change
in my lifestyle. As I had been humiliated by my husband in the past, now I
feel that I have to go ahead by any means to make sure sign of success
standing upon my own feet. I had no importance in my family and society
before being member of BEES’ group. I was deprived of taking part in
community-activities and giving opinion or advice in social context. Now
without my opinion no major decision is approved in the family. Many of the
neighbors come to me to take advice on various purposes. BEES gives me not
only economical support but also assistance through
education-health-nutrition-rights oriented outreach program. Various support
services of BEES like the adult education program, door to door general
healthcare services and satellite clinic guided by a doctor, training
support for reducing malnutrition through homestead gardening, distributing
high yielding variety crop seeds and saplings, etc. have really helped me
especially to be empowered with knowledge, attitude and practice for overall
development. After leaving my husband’s house I was very much helpless. BEES
has guided me to break the spell of helplessness as a great emancipator.
Apart from enriching me with the practical knowledge and
know-how, BEES has developed me spiritually and aesthetically. Now I can
decisively initiate certain social responsibilities such as resisting early
marriage, campaigning against dowry system, inspiring to be aware of
environment, conducting sessions for gender development, influencing others
overcoming superstitions and religious dogmas and so on, not to mention my
own orientation and awareness on these issues. Participation in the weekly
group meetings has enriched me towards this direction by means of detailed
participatory discussions on these issues.
My future plan is that I would branch out into some
projects like poultry farm, dairy farm etc. Now I have employed four staff
at my restaurant and two staff at my goldsmith’s shop. It gives me immense
satisfaction that my business has expanded and I have become capable of
income generation. I owe a lot to BEES for enabling me to stretch out my
ambition while I didn’t even know the true meaning of ambition. From my
drowning condition, BEES has pulled me out on firm ground and taught me how
to tread confidently.
BEES has made me ever grateful to it. I will never be able
to repay the debt of BEES as a whole.
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Fatema,
the Name of a Success
“I wanted to die, but the faces of my daughters came in
front of my eyes. What will happen to them? Who’ll look after them? I
resisted myself. I thought that I have to live for my daughters or they will
be in the same position like me”, in this way Fatema started to tell her
story. It is not a fiction. It is the reality Fatema had to go through four
years back.
Fatema Begum, age 35, lives in village
South Billalpur of
Joydebpur upazila of Gazipur district. She was married to Mohammad Selim,
whose family was equally poor like Fatema’s. He was the only earning member
in the family and his income was not regular. He was apathetic. Always he
used to scold her in front of other people and one day he divorced her. “I
went out holding the hands of my two daughters. My parents were also very
poor. It was not possible for them to feed extra three mouths. So I took
only shelter there. No one came forward to help me. One day I noticed that,
some women gathered at our neighbor’s house. And a lady was advising them. I
went forward and enquired about their activities. The group leader of the
Samiti, Sajeda Apa helped me to understand the services of BEES. I felt
encouraged and wanted to take loan. But the Field Officer Sir asked me what
I would do with the money. I kept silent. Then he asked me about my knack. I
spontaneously replied that I knew sewing. He advised me to buy a sewing
machine. I’m ever grateful to him for his kind suggestion.”
At the first phase Fatema Begum took loan of Tk. 4,000
with which she bought a sewing machine and started her business. The income
was not bad. Avoiding unnecessary expenses, she saved some money. Then she
decided to establish a nursery business. For that she took necessary
training on nursery from BEES. From sewing and nursery business her monthly
income began to increase. At the same time her life style also improved a
lot. Next year she took another loan of TK. 11,000 to expand her nursery
project. After knowing about sanitation system she received loan for
sanitation. She has been involved with BEES group for the last four years
and within this period she received four times loan from BEES of TK. 37,000.
In the mean time she also repaid TK. 14,200 of her total loan.
Before her involvement in BEES group, she had no income
because she was divorced by her husband. But now by sewing and from her
nursery business she earns about TK. 4,000 per month. After maintaining her
family, she is also saving a small amount.
Fatema Begum has two daughters. Her eldest daughter Afroza
Akter is 15 and she is a student of class nine. Her second daughter Selina
is 7 years old, who is in class one. Now Fatema is very much conscious about
her daughters’ future. She wants to give them proper education, so that they
can be self-dependent.
When she was divorced many people rebuked her and no one
helped her with a single penny. But now, she has her own business. She is
able to maintain her own family. “I was in darkness, as if I were in a vast
sea along with my daughters. If BEES didn’t help me by giving loan and
proper advice, we would have died of hunger,” she says with eyes full of
tears.
It is her determination and self-confidence which helped
her to become financially solvent. She adds, “I realized that without hard
labor I couldn’t be successful. Now many of my neighbors are following my
path. They also take loan and advice from BEES and are trying to change
their fate. They are trying to contribute in the family. Moreover, now we
are also well aware of primary health care, nutrition, environment,
sanitation and hygiene. We, the village women know about gender issue. We
can now stand on the firm ground where no one would dare to push us aside
towards a subordinate position either in the family or in the society. While
I was about to perish earlier, now I have become capable of protesting
social injustice like dowry system, early marriage etc. Now I can also cast
my vote. Previously I had to endure utter humiliation and rather the
pitiless attitude of the society towards me as no one considered me
important, would not loan me lest I could not repay, talked ill of me as I
could not stay with my husband, rebuked me on many instances and so on. But
now, I have earned a respectable position in the society while my opinion is
considered with due importance. And all credit goes to BEES. They are always
beside us to give necessary advice for different issues.”
Fatema Begum is thus
economically and socially secured. She is spiritually empowered. She is a
proud mother of two daughters, whose main mission is to give them higher
education. She always tries to encourage destitute ladies not to be
demoralized. She feels that women should work and earn for their own safety.
And this is the only way how a woman can establish her position in the
family and in the society.
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