College student Mitu hopes to earn alongside her mother, with Bashundhara Shuvosangho’s support

Photo: Collected

Forty underprivileged women from Netrokona Sadar and Barhatta upazilas have received sewing machines after completing three months of sewing training. Bashundhara Shuvosangho has stood beside them to help them become self-reliant. Many women dream of leaving household hardship behind and standing on their own feet; yet even with the skill and the will to work, financial hardship keeps many of them from finding any opportunity for employment. The women who received the machines now dream of earning from home and changing their own and their families’ fortunes.

One of them is Mahamuda Akter of Barhatta upazila, who is dreaming anew after getting a machine. Receiving it after three months of training under Bashundhara Shuvosangho’s initiative, she said, “This sewing machine is a chance for me to live anew. Now I will be able to earn something by sewing at home. I hope I can raise my child well. I am very grateful to Bashundhara Shuvosangho for this support.”

A programme was held recently at the multipurpose hall room of Barhatta upazila. There, besides Mahamuda, 19 more underprivileged women who had completed the training were given sewing machines. The machines were handed over by Imdadul Haq Milon, renowned fiction writer of the two Bengals, head of Bashundhara Shuvosangho and adviser to Bashundhara Group. Also present were Upazila Nirbahi Officer Selina Akter, Upazila Social Services Officer A S M Golam Hossain, OC (Investigation) Shafikuzzaman, Press Club President Shamsuddin Akand Babul, Dharmapasha Press Club President Selim Ahmmed, Akhil Chandra Pal, Md Nurul Amin, Ferdous Ahmmad, Mokhlesur Rahman and others.

Explaining the purpose of the distribution, Imdadul Haq Milon said at the programme, “We have only one main purpose behind giving sewing machines: to stand beside those women who want to stand on their own feet and become self-reliant, but cannot buy a sewing machine for lack of money. Bashundhara Shuvosangho is regularly distributing sewing machines in different districts of the country. We want this machine not to remain merely a tool in a woman’s hands, but to be a path for her to stand on her own feet.”

Commenting on the initiative, Upazila Nirbahi Officer Selina Akter said, “This initiative of distributing sewing machines is extremely important for making helpless and underprivileged women self-reliant. Through three months of training, the women are not just being handed a machine; rather, an opportunity is being created for them to stand on their own feet.”

In her words, “Through this initiative, women will be able to work and earn from home and play a role in tackling their families’ economic hardship. I am delighted to be involved with this activity of Bashundhara Group.”

Meanwhile, 20 more women received sewing machines in Netrokona Sadar upazila, at the office of Bangladesh Nari Progati Sangha. The guests at that programme were valiant freedom fighter, writer and essayist Haider Jahan Chowdhury; former general secretary of Netrokona District Press Club Shyamalendu Pal; Bangladesh Nari Progati Sangha manager Mrinal Kanti Chakraborty; Bashundhara Shuvosangho Netrokona district unit president Abdur Rahman; Bangladesh Pratidin correspondent Alpana Begum; News24 correspondent Sohan Ahmed Kakon; Kaler Kantho correspondent Ebad Hossain; and Shuvosangho organising secretary Ashraful Alam Tony, among others.

Among the recipients is Mitu Akter, who has no father. Her family runs on her mother’s income, which her mother earns by going from one tailoring shop to another doing sewing work. Mitu is a third-year honours student in the Department of Political Science at Netrokona Government College. She wants to work alongside her mother to overcome the family’s financial hardship.

Mitu said, “With a sewing machine at home, mother and daughter can both work and earn well. With Bashundhara’s support I have received training and a sewing machine. Now solvency will come to us, Insha’Allah. Many, many thanks to Bashundhara Group.”

Another recipient, Iti Rani Das, is also seeing a new ray of hope. Her husband works at a garment factory in Dhaka on a low salary. On that limited income, it becomes difficult to meet all the family’s needs. In this situation, Iti too felt the urge to do something herself to restore the family’s financial solvency. The sewing machine given by Bashundhara Shuvosangho has created a new possibility of fulfilling that dream.

Through this initiative of Bashundhara Shuvosangho, the 40 women have received both training and the means of employment. They now have the opportunity to earn by putting their own skills to use. Their hope is to reduce their families’ financial hardship through sewing work and to contribute to building their children’s future.