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Sakina
Emerges as an Epitome of Emancipation
“They’ll convert you into a Christian,” this is what
Sakina’s neighbors used to tell her, as she became a group member of BEES.
But with time many of them followed the same path she did. Now what’s the
secret behind this total change of attitude? Sakina herself goes on, “I was
the second among four brothers and four sisters. My parents were illiterate
and we were not allowed to go out to study. My father had very little arable
land and our days were full of struggle with poverty. I was married off at
the age of twelve to thirteen to Md. Bazlur Rahman of Sherpur upazila under
Bogra district. My husband’s was an equally poor family and he was the only
earning member in the family, what was worse that he was a drug addict. I
tried my utmost to cure him but all in vain. He would mix up with other
spoiled youths of the neighborhood and pass his time indulging in useless
pursuits. As his income was irregular we could never cross the poverty line.
Life was very much miserable.”
It was the brave venture of Sakina– her involvement with
BEES group activities, despite her neighbors’ prejudiced predictions that
marked Sakina’s change of fate. While she received relief from BEES as a
destitute woman earlier, after being enlisted in BEES group, Sakina dreamt
of becoming an entrepreneur herself. The motivation of BEES and the proper
guidance played a significant role in case of Sakina’s involvement in group
activities as well as taking up income generating activities. She received a
loan of Tk. 5,000 from the Field Organizer of BEES Md. Faridul Islam.
Following his advice Sakina bought two cows, her first investment into
productive pursuit. Paying off the loan on installment basis she had an
increased income enabling her to multiply two cows into four and the four
cows into eight. She sold four cows and bought three ‘bighas’ (99 decimal)
of land. Now Sakina has four cows, four goats, four ‘bighas’ of land and
five bee-hives. Devoting herself to make profit from her assets Sakina has
been making headway in life. Everyday her husband sells their cows’ milk at
the local market for Taka 100-120. Every week they are selling honey from
their bee-hives for Tk. 500 – 600. The cropping land is yielding food for
the family and also bringing some money.
At the end of the year Sakina’s net profit is about Tk.
8,000 from her cattle, goats, cows, bee–hives and arable land. Her husband
who used to be a day laborer, no more has to sell labor. He has joined his
hands with Sakina and mainly looks after their agricultural land. The scope
of work and prosperity has changed this man. Sakina’s perseverance has
succeeded at last. Previously he would not consider Sakina an important
person and always dominate her. Sakina’s voice was not heard in the family.
Sakina’s independence, her realization of life, her disposition have earned
her a status in the family and also in the society. “I believed that my
heaven was underneath my husband’s feet. I did not dare to go against him
though it was my meek requests and persuasions I would apply to change him.
I would often tolerate his tortures. But I am no more that meek and helpless
woman. I have been capacitated through BEES’ support,” Sakina states, Sakina
has earned different training, orientations and basic awareness on many
issues from BEES. Besides receiving training on homestead gardening,
forestation, cattle rearing, sewing etc. and basic awareness on some
important issues, Sakina also has been trained as Traditional Birth
Attendant. Sakina believes her training as Traditional Birth Attendant is
one of the most important achievements she has made. “Using my knowledge and
expertise achieved from BEES’ training courses I have been cultivating
vegetables in my kitchen garden, rearing cattle and poultry scientifically,
sewing ‘nakshi kantha’, etc. As a Trained Birth Attendant I have very often
been called in the community and it has earned me fame as an expert and
dependable hand”, says the proud and self-reliant Sakina Begum. Sakina has
received basic literacy from BEES’ adult literacy program. She has also
received basic knowledge on gender, health, hygiene, safe water, sanitation,
nutrition, environment etc.
The sufferings Sakina had to go through in her early days,
she does not want her sons to go through the same again. She has dedicated
herself to educate her sons. She says “I have sent my sons to school with my
little earning from sewing at the beginning. With the increased income it
was not a problem at all to bear the educational expenses of my sons. I am
happy that my sons are like me, not like their fathers, to be precise, not
like the mean person he happened to be. My eldest son has passed S.S.C.,
second son has completed H.S.C and my youngest son is a student of HSC
level. A happy and content mother of three sons, Sakina plans to wed her
eldest son who is 28 now. Dreaming of a more prosperous future Sakina wishes
to buy more land, expand her bee-hives and other pursuits.
Sakina’s development has worked to hammer the minds of her
sarcastic neighbors. Many of the neighboring women would like to take advice
from Sakina. A number of them have become group members of BEES. The
sarcasm, the prejudice of the villagers have been transformed into
administration, respect and pursuing the same path. Sakina emerges as a
trendsetter, an epitome of emancipation in her locality.
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Moyzan
Bibi Makes Her Life Meaningful
“Our day’s income was only Tk.50. After the hard labor I
and my husband could by no way earn more than that. Naturally we even had to
starve at times and a scanty meal or two were what had to be considered
enough for the family,” Mst. Moyzan Bibi, age 40, from Nijmaona village of
Sreepur upazila under Gazipur district recalls her fretful days gone by. Mst.
Moyzan alongwith her husband Md. Nurul Islam used to work at other people’s
house in the village. With no education and burdened with the pangs of
poverty, Moyzan’s woes were endless. They were virtually living from hand to
mouth.
But now life has a new turn for Moyzan. Her days have
brightened up and she has come out of those nightmarish struggles. The
turning point of her life has been marked by her involvement with BEES. Back
in 1998 Mst. Moyzan Bibi was introduced with a BEES’ worker on the way
adjacent to her home. She explained to her the BEES poverty eradication
initiatives in detail. When moyzan came to know about BEES and its micro
credit program, she became very much impressed and interested to become a
part of it for an overall upliftment of life.
“I found a new ray of hope in the midst of utter despair. I
discussed with my husband and we decided to lease some lands taking loan
from BEES. The easy-interest loan of BEES seemed quite convenient in
comparison to the high-interest ones available at the village level from the
money lenders. Whereas the monthly interest for Tk.1000 at the village was
Tk.100, from BEES we could avail Tk.1000 for a yearly interest of Tk.150. It
seemed to be a very good opportunity for us to turn the wheel of our luck.
Therefore I became a group member of BEES and got my first loan of Tk.3000
yielding me sure success through leasing of land”, Moyzan Bibi goes through
her period of transition. The first loan was the seed of success. Then
through the successive years Moyzan and her husband devoted all their
efforts and perseverance to bring them good luck. After leasing of land it
was a clothes shop and till now the shop is bringing them good profit. On
and off they have been leasing land and the bigger the amount of loan, the
larger the venture and naturally it’s the period of climbing up the steps
upward leaving behind the days of utter poverty.
Moyzan’s life standard has risen up considerably. They can
now take nutritious food, wear decent clothes. The days of starvation seems
to be some bygone nightmare. Moyzan is sending her eldest daughter to school
and hopes to send her two other children, a boy and a girl to school too
when they reach their age. While it was almost a life of non entity in the
society before, now they have gained social respect and a voice that counts.
Their participation in any social program has become imperative. “Now I know
the good from the bad. The discussion sessions each week have enlightened me
with various basic knowledge. Now I know that there is no difference between
men and women. We are all human beings. It’s our duty to live a better life
by maintaining cleanliness, sanitation, hygiene, nutritious food intake,
environmental conservation, plantation etc.,” says a more enlightened Moyzan.
“When I first started BEES’ activities, my neighbors would
talk ill of me, predicting that it would defame me for my involvement with
male staff of BEES, who are outsiders. They hinted that having any kind of
association with outsider male persons severely hamper a woman’s virtue and
integrity. But with time their eyes opened and they found that instead of
defamation I was benefited. My association with BEES was meant for uplifting
me, not for any vile purpose or defaming me. Now, they come to me for my
advice on different issues. My financial emancipation as well as my
knowledge and my better way of living have impressed them. Although my
husband considered me important earlier, but now my importance in the family
has increased much further. I make many decisions in the family”, Moyzan
Bibi adds.
Moyzan’s empowerment has been possible through her will
power and hard labor as well as the extended support from BEES. She believes
that such supports can emancipate the poor and backwards people like her.
She smiles a happy and confident smile and hopes that this smile will be
multiplied in a near future among the poor people of the country if they get
opportunity, she has been fortunate to avail.
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