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Amar Bari Amar Khamar project popularly known as Ektee Bari Ektee Khamar, one of the dream initiatives of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, appeared to be a blessing for 4,70,556 distressed people changing their livelihood and living standards in 13 upazilas of Mymensingh district.
The project is now being run through Palli Sanchay Bank and the poorest people in the areas become self-dependent through bank loan assistance and necessary training. Even, many of them are becoming small entrepreneurs, reports BSS.
District (regional) senior officer of the project Md Humayun Kabir said Ektee Bari Ektee Khamar project is the first among the ten special initiatives of the premier and the activities of the project began in 2009.
A total of 10,053 samities were formed across the district thanks to the project while the number of its members is about 4,70,000, he added.
He said a total of Tk 1283.42 crore and 86,000 have been distributed among the members through Palli Sanchay Bank under the project.
The project aims to make the distressed people self-dependent by providing loan assistance and necessary training, Kabir continued.
He informed me that they are providing essential advice and directives to the members.
Selina, one of the beneficiaries of the project, was married off at an early age. Her husband Abdur Rashid was an x-ray operator at a local private clinic and he had low salary. It was tough for Selina to run her family with the poor income of her husband.
But Selina continued her education though she was married off at an early age. At last, she did her honours and started to search a job. But she didn't get any job. She was determined that she would have to do something for her family.
Selina said she started the journey of changing her life along with seven poor and distressed women in 2007.
She bought a sewing machine with her savings took training from Jubo Unnoyan and started tailoring at her home along with seven more women, she added.
They began selling clothes in shops in different local markets and her income has increased gradually. Later, she opened a shop of handicrafts named 'Icche Ghuri' in front of her residence where she sold different types of handicrafts and clothes for children.
Once, she took a stall at Unnayan Mela on the premises of Muktagacha upazila parishad and she found the stall of Palli Sanchay Bank just beside her shop.
She was encouraged by knowing of different facilities and loan assistance and started a new journey by forming Ishwargram Nandi Bari Mohila Samity. In the beginning, there were only 43 members of the samity.
Selina invested Tk 10,000 by taking a loan from the Palli Sanchay Bank. Later, she took Tk 50,000 after paying a previous loan and started her business on a large scale. She sold the clothes at different shops and earned handsome money.
She also created employment opportunities for the members of the samity. The members started to get Tk 250 to Tk 300 every day. Selina's monthly income stands now at about Tk 50,000 to Tk 60,000.
She is now maintaining her family and she has a wish to open a garment factory.
Selina got the Successful Self-employment Award and she received the award from the prime minister. Many women including Rani Biswas, Nurjahan and Surma Akther of the area were encouraged to see the success of Selina.
Thanking the officials of the project, Selina said they have played a pivotal role in her success.
She also extended her gratitude to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for taking the special initiative.
Rahela is also another beneficiary of the project and she is a member of Amar Bari Amar Khamar of Muzati village in Muktagacha upazila of the district.
She didn't carry out her education after passing SSC exams due to poverty. She has two kids and became frustrated as she had no income. Finally, she bought a power tiller. However, it was not so easy to run a family with an income from only one source. Later, she bought a bull calf and also got another bull calf from her father.
Rahela said that he saw a regular programme on Ektee Bari Ektee Khamar on BTV and was inspired by witnessing different successful stories. She sold her two calves at Tk one lakh and bought two Phrygian breeds calves and she has now nine cows worth about Tk 27 lakh.
Of those, six are cows, two are calves and one is bull calf and she is getting about 60 litres of milk from three cows every day. She earns about Tk 3000 every day by selling milk at different sweet shops and Armed Battalion Camp.
In the beginning, Rahela took a Tk 10,000 loan from the Palli Sanchay Bank and later, she took Tk 20,000 and then, she took another Tk 50,000 loan from the bank. And now, she is planning to invest the loan at his farm at the necessary moment. She is now known as a successful farmer in her area.
Junia Yesmin is another successful entrepreneur of Dhanuka village in Dulla union. She is also a member of Dhanuka Amar Bari Amar Khamar Samity. She became a successful self-dependent woman by farming cows.
Once, it was hard to run her family with only the income of her husband who is a labourer. But, she is now happy through farming cows by taking a loan from the bank. She changed her life within ten years.
Yesmin said she knew the information of the samity from its president Dulal Uddin in 2011. Later, she got the membership of the Samity and took training.
In the beginning, she got a Tk 10,000 loan from the bank and bought a cow at TK 18000 adding her own Tk 8,000. Later, she took another loan from the bank and bought cows. She has now four cows worth Tk 5 lakh.
She is also rearing ducks in a modern way at her house. Now, her kids are going to school. She is now a role model of successful women before the villagers.
Yesmin also extended her heartfelt thanks and gratitude to the premier.
Muktagacha upazila coordinator of the Ektee Bari Ektee Khamar Project Mahmudul Hasan said that they are making utmost efforts as the special project of the government could be implemented at field level properly.
They are also providing necessary advice along with loan assistance to the distressed people of the area, he added.
He said the members of Muktagacha upazila samity is 11,811 and the savings is Tk 6.79 crore while the number of loan bearers is 7,788.
The cumulative investment is Tk 39.41 crore while the collection is Tk 26.9 crore, he added.
