Young Himan Murmu of Mirzapur Christian Para under Dinajpur Municipality has proven that poverty is not an obstacle if anyone has an indomitable willpower.
Despite his family's hardships, he has built a bright example of self-reliance by capitalising on nursery, handicrafts, cottage industries and pottery.
About two hundred families live in the Mirzapur Christianpara where Himan Murmu spent his childhood and adolescence. Due to his family's poverty, Himan Murmu could not continue his education and stopped studying until the tenth grade.
His father, Tarsius Murmu, died of illness in 2006. To take care of the family, the elder brother moved to Rajshahi, while the younger brother started working as a daily wage laborer. The two sisters married and moved to their in-laws' house. Himan Murmu took care of the family.
Although he initially worked as a daily wage earner, he dreamed of doing something for himself. With that dream in mind, he started a nursery on just 900 acres of land in his backyard. Here, he produces and sells seedlings of various medicinal plants including chirta, harjora, herbasso, and white yinbawati. He also cultivates gourd, sweet pumpkin, cucumber, barbati, beans, shrimp, kankarol, puishak, papaya, green pepper, datashak, and ginger in sacks. He cultivates and sells them.
Besides, he makes fishing nets, bamboo flutes, brooms, chicken coops, and daily necessities made of bamboo. He makes musical instruments like guitars, dhotaras, and harmoniums out of wood. Not only that, his contribution to pottery is equally commendable. He makes various crafts including fish, cows, goats, elephants, doyel birds, dolphins, and monkeys out of clay. He earns about 15 to 20 thousand taka per month from these ventures.
Locals say that Himan Murmu is an inspiration to everyone today. He is spreading the message that even the neglected youth of the society can become self-reliant with indomitable hard work and strong morale.
The elders of the Mirzapur Christian Para area said that young entrepreneurs like Himan Murmu are changing the environment of the village.
However, to make this initiative more sustainable, government support and advice from the Agriculture Department are needed. The elders also said that if such a nursery is established, the people of our area will become financially self-reliant. If they get regular training and technical support from the Agriculture Department, many more people like Himan Murmu will come forward.
