Empowering community thru eliminating poverty

“I don’t have to be worried about my two sons anymore. It would not be difficult to cover the cost of their education. Now, I can survive with my boys after earning money by sewing,” said Salma Khatun of Mathurapur village under Sujanagar upazila of Pabna.

“Bashundhara Group has made our lives easier”, she said expressing her gratitude after receiving a gift of a sewing machine from the Bashundhara Group.

With two sons, Salma Khatun spends days in starvation in a tin-shed house in the village, which is 35 kilometers away from Pabna town. In a poor family, the eldest daughter could not be educated. She arranged her daughter’s marriage while studying in class six.
Two years ago, her (Salma) husband Azad died of liver cancer. He used to drive a van to support his family. After the death of her husband, Salma started working as a domestic worker to support her family. Salma goes to work every day with her elder son Joy who is studying at a madrasa keeping a three-year-old son Fahim in her lap. She cannot go to work when she becomes sick.

In such a situation, they have to pass their days without food. Sensing the condition of Salama Begum, Bashundhara Shuvosangho stood beside her. Bashundhara arranged sewing training for her at the Shuvosangho Sewing Training Center in Sujanagar. After the training session, Imdadul Haq Milan, Editor-In-Chief of the Daily Kaler Kantho, handed over a sewing machine to Salma on behalf of the Bashundhara Group.

Receiving the sewing machine Salma became emotional and expressed her all-out satisfaction to the Bashundhara Group.

She said, “Bashundhara Group stood beside me at a time when I was in a fix about the survival of my family and my son’s education. They gave me the path to survive. I pray to the Almighty for the betterment of the Bashundhara Group.”

Like Salma, Bashundhara Group has handed over sewing machines to 50 helpless women. After three months of free training, these women received sewing machines and Rashida Parveen is one of them. Her husband Wazed Ali passed away two years ago. Due to poverty, she arranged marriage for her daughter at a young age. But the family after the marriage did not last long.

Rashida along with her daughter moved to her father’s house, leaving her husband. Rashida Parveen's elder son Raju and younger son Roni work as day labourers to run their family somehow. Finding no better option, Sathi worked as a cook at different restaurants.
Though she is knowledgeable about sewing, she has no sewing machine. To take responsibility for the family, Rashida took free sewing training from the training center of the Bashundhara Shuvosangho. Rashida Parveen is now very happy to receive a sewing machine from Bashundhara Group after her training.

She said, “Now I have a sewing machine. There will be no insolvency in my family. Bashundhara Group has eliminated our poverty. I pray to the Almighty for the spontaneous progress and prosperity of the group.”

Jharna Begum's house is one kilometer away from Bashundhara

Shuvosangho Training Center in Chatmohar. Her husband got married elsewhere six years ago. She passes her days in an acute hardship with three sons and one daughter. She survives with what she earns daily by working as a day labourer. Elder son Rakib is physically challenged. Friends of Bashundhara Shuvosangho arranged a sewing training for her free of cost taking her hardship under consideration. After getting a sewing machine after the training, Jharna Khatun now dreams of being self-reliant.

Expressing gratitude to Bashundhra Group, she said, “There was no one to inquire about my difficulties. Bashundhara Group has rearranged my livelihood. I will be praying to Allah for the betterment of the company. I pray for the long life of Bashundhara Group’s owner to the Almighty Allah.

SOURCE : Daily Sun