Home ›› 22 Nov 2021 ›› Nation
Akhtar Khatun, a young woman became a successful entrepreneur amid severe hardship taking challenges and fighting back with poverty.
Akhtarun, 26, of Islampur Ambari village in Payraband union under Mithapukur upazila of Rangpur district is the youngest daughter among the five siblings of her parents.
Her father was a sharecropper who could not afford the expenses of the six members’ family let alone education.
Rafiqul Islam Dulal, the cousin of Akhtarun, said, “She dreamt of higher education from early childhood. The girl did not let her dream down despite facing the hard reality.”
After completing her Secondary School Certificate, it was almost difficult for her to get admission to a college. But the indomitable spirit and strength pushed her to take the challenge to go ahead. She started teaching primary students and sewing handicraft bags. She used to earn Tk 100 in a day. She bought an old sewing machine and began knitting handicrafts bags at home. Selling products in the local market, she earned Tk 150-200 in a day. But it was not enough to maintain her education cost and to support the family. She did not lose hope and continued to struggle, said Dulal.
Later, she joined Empower Youth for Work (EYW) project of a developing agency–Rangpur Dinajpur Rural Service (RDRS), Bangladesh–where she received entrepreneurship development training.
After receiving the training, Akhtarun started a small business. She rented a shop in her village market.
She bought an electric sewing machine for Tk 22,000 taking a loan from the project to weave handicrafts products to be used in households.
Gradually, she started getting benefits from her job. She earns around Tk 40,000 a month by selling handicraft products in the local markets, according to Dulal.
Later, she repaid the loan. Now she can save at least Tk15, 000 per month meeting all her demands and expenditures. Now, she can take care of herself and the family properly.
Meanwhile, she had completed her post-graduation courses.
While talking to this correspondent, Akhtarun said, “It was tough and challenging to overcome the hardships of my life. It has become a tale which I could share with others.”
Headteacher of Payrabandh Begum Rokeya Memorial Girls’ High School, Mithapukur Mohammed Mahedul Alam, said, “Akhtarun is one of the brilliant students of the school who took challenges and clinch victory by combating the poverty.”
The strong determination and indomitable spirit helped her to reach her goal, he added. “When a girl receives education and starts earning, a lot of good things happen in life. She became empowered and confident to overcome all the hassle of the hard reality.
“Nothing can stop her from doing a creative and constructive job. She not only can support her but also can contribute significantly to the family life that is very important for sustainable development. So, everybody should have a dream to reach the target despite the challenges and crisis in life,” Mahedul Alam said.
EYW Project Manager Deepok Chandra Sen said, “RDRS Bangladesh organises a small scale entrepreneurship training programme for the unemployed youth in the village. We have got Akhtarun as a sincere, honest and hard-working woman. We wish her success.”
