Underprivileged women in Patuakhali and Kushtia have found a lifeline through a sewing initiative supported by Bashundhara Group.
Through a social initiative of the country’s largest industrial conglomerate Bashundhara Group, training centres have been established, allowing women to weave their dreams and gain financial independence.
The project, managed through Bashundhara Group’s social platform Bashundhara Shuvosangho, set up sewing training centres in several locations including the municipality and Char Agasti village in Galachipa upazila of Patuakhali, and Sadar and Daulatpur upazila of Kushtia.
The training has ignited a new hope in the rural women, who are now supporting their families financially. With the generous financial support of Bashundhara Group Chairman Ahmed Akbar Sobhan, these women are being equipped with sewing machines free of cost.
In Galachipa, the three-month training programme will continue at the upazila fishery office premises. Bashundhara Shuvosangho School runs the programme at its premises in Char Agasti village.
It's been a month since the training started in Kushtia. Kaler Kantho editor-in-chief Imdadul Haq Milan, representing Bashundhara Group, will hand over sewing machines to the trainees.
A sense of joy and accomplishment is evident among the women who attend the training centre. These previously disadvantaged rural women are now
getting ready to stitch their dreams into reality.
One trainee, Lubna, a resident of Bara Shiva village in Galachipa Upazila, travels 17 kilometres to take sewing training at the Bashundhara Shuvosangho Training Centre in Char Agasti village. Widowed last year, Lubna was leading a life of destitution with two young children. The opportunity offered by the Bashundhara Group has been a beacon of hope in her life.
"None has come forward like this for my family's income in my area. Bashundhara Group has come forward to help. I want to be self-employed after this training. This is my fight for my children,” Lubna said, reflecting the determination that many women in the programme share.
The opening ceremony of the sewing centre in Galachipa of Patuakhali was attended by dignitaries like Assistant Commissioner (Land) Saiful Islam and upazila senior fisheries officer Jahirunnabi.
In Kushtia, local MP Rezaul Haque Chowdhury and programme officer of women affairs office Morjina Khatun inaugurated the training centre in Daulatpur. MP Rezaul Haque Chowdhury expressed his appreciation for Bashundhara Group's commitment to the social well-being of the country.
He said, "The training programme for distressed women is a noble initiative to empower the community. I believe the trainees will bring solvency in their
livelihood, implementing the skills learnt from the training. I appreciate the activities and hope that the programme will expand in other upazilas of Kushtia."
Hawa Khatun of Mollategharia area of Kushtia Sadar Upazila is another beneficiary of this initiative. Abandoned by her husband, she now sees a glimmer of hope through sewing training.
"I am in great trouble with the child. Now I am trying to turn around through sewing training. I am grateful to Bashundhara Group for giving us the opportunity to become self-reliant by providing free sewing training," she said.
In the same village, Manju Islam's family faces an uphill battle. A day labourer, Manju has two sons and a daughter, Maya, a 10th-grade student at Housing Secondary School in Kushtia town.
With Manju currently unemployed due to illness, Maya stopped attending school, unable to pay her fees. Despite having a house, it's uninhabitable, with water entering during the rainy season and lacking basic facilities.
Maya has now taken the initiative to join the sewing training provided by Bashundhara Shuvosangho, aiming to support her family. Maya expressed her optimism, stating that Bashundhara Group's help through sewing training and the provision of a sewing machine would bring prosperity back to her
family.
Another moving story comes from Jairampur village of Daulatpur upazila. Poor Ziarul Islam cannot work due to physical illness, and his wife Alia had been supporting the family by running a sewing machine at home. Tragedy struck when a fire burned their house and sewing machine, plunging the family into darkness.
However, hope was not lost. Members of Daulatpur unit of Bashundhara Shuvosangho discovered Alia and promised her a new sewing machine. Alia has now begun to dream again, taking sewing training in a new style at the Bashundhara Shuvosangho Training Center.
The tales of Hawa, Maya, and Alia are representative of many others whose lives have been touched by the thoughtful initiative of Bashundhara Group.
Whether it's providing hope to a widow, enabling a young girl to return to school, or helping a family rebuild after a devastating life event, the impact of this training programme goes far beyond sewing.
These stories underline the potential of empowering rural women through skill development and portray a heartwarming example of corporate social responsibility.
With each stitch, these women are not only sewing clothes but also mending the fabric of their lives. Their resilience, bolstered by the support of Bashundhara Group, exemplifies how determination and community support can weave dreams into reality.
Bd-pratidin English/Lutful Hoque
