The ‘Amar Bari Amar Khamar (ABAK)’ project as well as its Polly Sonchoy Bank (PSB) has started contributing a lot towards making the less-income group villagers self-reliant through inspiring them to various income generating activities, reports BSS.
After being members of Village Development Committee (VDC), 9,340 villagers have learnt how to search for income generating activities and become self reliant through quality investment and best uses of those in the district.
Ferdousi Khatun, a member of Matikata VDC in Godagari upazila, has attained self-reliance after the best uses of her loan money. Firstly, she took a loan of Taka 10,000 and purchased a sewing machine in around five years back. Now, she is the owner of three goats and two cows side by side with her tailoring works with furthermore investments.
“My conjugal life is very miserable due to my husband’s drug-addiction,” said Khatun, adding that she left her husband with a minor daughter amidst an uncertain condition around five and a half years back. But at present, she becomes a small entrepreneur limiting her dependence on her parents to a greater extent. She got a new life terming the VDC membership as the turning point of her life.
Like other upazilas across the country, the ABAK project is being implemented in 166 selected villages of nine Union Parishads in the Godagari upazila since 2009-2010 fiscal year benefiting 6,732 people including 4,040 women, said Nure Tanjila, upazila coordinator of the project.
A fund of Taka 7.24 crore including the monthly savings of the beneficiaries worth Taka 2.06 crore has already been developed, she said, adding all the financial transactions are now being conducted through online banking that ensured transparency and accountability in the whole process.
The loans over Taka 7.91 crore were given among 6,121 VDC members for cattle rearing, fisheries, poultry farming, producing paddy and vegetable and vermicompost. Julekha Begum, a member of Enayetullapur VDC, has become a successful small entrepreneur in terms of her processing and selling of cheese to different hotels and restaurants.
“We are processing cheese from around 75 liters of milk every day,” said Begum, adding that she is paying her loan installment regularly. She gets full support from her husband and two sons to operate the business enterprise.
Homestead gardening has become a boon to the life of Ataur Rahman, a member of Pakri Dighipara VDC, who started farming after getting a loan worth Taka 50,000 in 2016. A member of Kurshuna Eshabpur VDC, Durul Huda has become an icon in grocery business. In line with his previous success, he took a loan worth Taka 70,000 and invested it to his business very recently.
Nure Tanjila said the beneficiary members were imparted improved and modern training on various trades including livestock, fisheries, nurseries and horticulture at the initial stage of their membership.
Important portfolios of the committees like president and managers were given training on project management and innovation of income generating activities. Besides, 60 members have been brought under small entrepreneurship training.
Upazila Nirbahi Officer Nazmul Islam Sarker said utmost importance has been given on proper implementation of the project so that the target group of people can derive its total benefits. ABAK is one of the 10 special initiatives of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, he added.
“Role of the project is very much important towards capacity development of the members, particularly empowerment of women beneficiaries,” said Jahangir Alam, an upazila chairman. The ABAK project and PSB are benefiting 9,340 members of 292 VDCs in all nine upazilas of the district including Godagari one at present, said Gloria Ghosh, district coordinator of the ABAK project.
Professor Moazzem Hossain Khan of the Department of Economics in Rajshahi University (RU) said the project has become a driving force to the villagers in terms of transforming them into various income generators.
“ABAK has been playing a vital role towards making the less-income group people self-reliant in line with its key objectives,” he said, adding that the project will bring a positive change to the lives of the beneficiaries within the near future.