Thirty insolvent women, mostly housewives were imparted training for three months. But the trainees never felt the training to be boring. Rather, they were very enthusiastic with appearing at training centre earlier than the stipulated time. Many breastfeeding participants came with babies. An indomitable will has encouraged them to achieve self-reliance.
Shuvosangho, a social organisation of the Bashundhara Group’s vernacular daily Kaler Kantho, came up with the trainings at various places in Rangpur city for the insolvent women of the grassroots. The 30 participants were imparted training on sewing, block, batik and related works. The recipients were harboruing a common objective to stand on foot, assist the family and educate children in befitting manner. A desperate bid prompted them to learn use of needle and thread, then cutting clothes and sewing. And they stitched their dreams on April 29. With financial support of the Bashundhara Group, the Shuvosangho presented each of the participants with sewing machine.
Imdadul Haq Milan, Editor-in-Chief of the Kaler Kantho and Director of the East West Media Group Ltd, handed over the sewing machines to 30 downtrodden women at a ceremony at Kamal Kachna area of Rangpur city. The machines were given free of charge by the Bashundhara Group which is dedicated to working for betterment of the country and its people.
One of the trainees is Nazma Begum. She had been staying at in-laws’ house at Kurigram since her marriage. She was leading a happy conjugal life. But darkness engulfed her life following premature death of husband. She was in a fix to manage the family with eight-year-old child. She came back to father’s home at Guratipara area in Rangpur city with daughter. But her return added to poverty of her father’s house. At this stage, she came to know about Shuvosangho training centre. She attended the training to embrace a new struggle for survival. After three months of training, she obtained a sewing machine under financial support of the Bashundhara Group.
Receiving the sewing machine, Nazma was driven by the emotion.
“I will be able to lead a solvent life by earning money with the sewing machine. The Bashundhara Group has given me the machine. May Allah bless owner of the largest business conglomerate. This help will enable me to survive with family members,” she said.
Another struggling woman is Yasmin Ara Rina. She was informed of Shuvosangho’s cost-free training by two trainers Ritu and Orpa. She joined the training to entitle children for the basic opportunities which she was deprived of. Receiving the training, she emerged as an efficient tailor but lacked a sewing machine. She could not afford meals thrice a day, let alone machine. But her dreams moved to reality with the Bashundhara Group charioteer. She was given a new sewing machine.
“The sewing machine given by the Bashundhara Group is a tool of implementing my dream. Now, I will be able to receive work orders and earn money,” said Rina.
Jannati Akter is a student of class XI. She is growing up with poverty. The family of five members is run by her father’s little income. Meeting household expenses, her father cannot afford education for of Jannati. So, she is determined to finance her study alongside assisting family and bringing solvency. But she was not finding any way in this regard. Shuvosangho stands by her in order to implement her dream. A sewing machine was handed over to Jannati after providing her with required training.
Receiving sewing machine, she said “From now on, I would be able to bear my educational expenditure. Also, it would be possible for me to help my father financially.”
Husband of Mamata Begum, a housewife and a resident of Kamal Kasna, is engaged in a job under private organisation in exchange for a meager salary. One-third of his salary is spent in house rent. Mamata’s husband faces hardship to bear the expenditure of three-member family, including wife and children, due to skyrocketing prices of commodities. Mamata takes initiative to get rid of financial hardship. She learnt sewing from Shuvosangho training centre.
Receiving a sewing machine from the Bashundhara Group, she said, “Today, I am happier than ever. The machine will break all economic stalemate.”
Nazma, Rina, Jannati and Mamata, Bithi Ahter, Mousuba Akter, Nishat Begum, Sema Akhter and Jharna Rani included 30 distressed women to have received training and expressed their immense pleasure.
Housewife Bithi Akter said, “Bashundhara Group has given me a sewing machine. I am very happy with this earning resource. I received three-month training from Shuvosangho. It was not possible for me to purchase a machine amid extreme poverty. Now, machine received from Bashundhara will help me start working fast. Also, I will have scope to help my family financially. I convey my thanks to Shuvosangho for holding such initiatives.”
Handing over sewing machines to the impoverished women, litterateur Imdadul Haq Milan said, “Bashundhara Group is doing various development works across the country. Through works, this Group is making destitute people self-reliant. The Chairman of Bashundhara Group is helping insolvent women of different regions in achieving economic emancipation by providing them with many kinds of equipment including sewing machine and training for free.”
“As part of it, Shuvosangho reached out to the women with sewing training in Rangpur. Today, sewing machines were given to them on behalf of Bashundhara Group. Hope, they will become self-reliant through this initiative. And we will continue our works to this end,” he added.
He referred to Bashundhara Group’s distribution of foods for months among 48 thousand helpless people in 16 districts of the northern region of the country during Covid-19 pandemic and blankets among cold-hit destitute. Lakhs of elderly people and little orphans received the blankets and got rid of cold bites.
On behalf of the Bashundhara Group, much effort continues to change the fate of the people in all char areas of the country. Already, six schools were established and libraries set up. Also, Bashundhara Group is working to build a knowledge-based society.”
The event was attended by Associate Professor of Mass Communication and Journalism of Begum Rokeya University Tabiur Rahman Prodhan.
In his speech, Tabiur Rahman Prodhan said, “Bashundhara Group is always working being a blessing to the people of the northern region. The Group extends assistance to the people through Shuvosangho in case of any disaster.”
Local ward councillor Rafiqul Islam said, “Apart from the government, different individuals and organisations will have to come forward to check country’s poverty rate. Bashundhra Group is working for the welfare of the people as part of social responsibility and humanity. I express my thanks to the largest industrial conglomerate and Shuvosangho.”
Ritu and Orpa, trainers of Shuvosangho training centre, said “We are proud of imparting training to insolvent women.”
In the first phase, 30 women were given training. Meanwhile, there is a plan to train 50 more women in the next phase. The social welfare effort of Shuvosangho will continue.
Expressing gratitude to Bashundhara Group, they said “The women have benefited from sewing machines. They were unable to work commercially for not having machines. Now, they will be able to start work eliminating their poverty. The machines will play an important role in materialising their dreams.”
During distribution of machines, Shuvoshangho Director Zakaria Zaman, Head of Rangpur Office Nazrul Islam, Rangpur Metropolitan Kotwali Police Station Inspector Hossain Ali, City Press Club President Swapon Chowdhury, News24 Rangpur Bureau Chieif Rezaul Karim Manik, Bangladesh Pratidin Staff Correspondent Nazrul Mridha, Lalmonirhat Correspondent of Daily Sun Tanmoy Ahmed Noyon, along with Era Haque, Golam Sarwar Rabbi, Sadequl Islam, Md Ahsan Habib, Rabbi Farabi, Sohel Tanveer, Shohagh Das, Robi Das, Shuvo Roy, Soumitra Barman, Shuvo Kumar Pal, Saran Dutta, Mintu Miah, Hasan Ali, Nur Muhammad, Hasnat Rifat, Nur Jahan and Arafat Amin Joy were present on the occasion.
Bd-pratidin English/Lutful Hoque
