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Micro-credits change poor women's lot

Once a poor woman, enterprising Rina earns now Tk 4,000 each month from her tailoring shop in Mymensingh

AMINUL ISLAM, Mymensingh
A little economic assistance has changed the lot of poor enterprising women here in two years.
Twenty-six-year-old Rina Begum is one of the women who became self-reliant making good use of the assistance.
Through wedlock, Rina became the wife a worker of a tailoring shop here named Saju Miah 15 years ago. Since marriage she had to live with extreme poverty. Her husband could not meet up the demand of the family with his meagre income. Life became much miserable when she became mother of three children.
Being disgusted, she took a determination to become self-reliant by earning money independently. With the aim in view, she learnt the art of tailoring from her husband. She wanted to open a tailoring shop in the town. For the purpose, she needed money. She took loan amounting to Tk 5,000 from a prominent NGO, Association for Social Advancement (ASA), and started her business in Kewatkhali area of the town. She appointed three part time female workers in her tailoring shop. Soon, digilent Rina began to earn profit from her shop. Ultimately, she repaid the NGO loan including interest on time. After her loan payment, she took further loan amounting to Tk 12,000 for the purpose of developing her business. This time she appointed more workers in her shop which turned into a more profitable concern. This time also she did not fail to repay her loan on time.
After recovery of this loan, Rina took loan further amounting to Tk
35,000 in January last year. 'I shall repay the entire loan in May this year,' she told The Daily Star in reply to a query.
A happy small entrepreneur, Rina told The Daily Star she had appointed three female tailors on regular basis and six part time workers in her tailoring shop.
'Now I lead a happy life as I can meet up all the family expenses smoothly from my income', said delighted Rina. 'I have sent two of my three children to primary school and I hope to educate them properly in future', Rina said.
Rina also trained 15 women for free so that she can establish a mini garment industry in near future.
'Many women visit her for consultation and I always render them my selfless service,' said sincere Rina.
At present, Rina spends Tk 3,500 to pay her staff salary each month. After meeting all the expenses, her net profit remains Tk 4,000 per month. From her income she procured five decimals of land at Bhatikashar in the town.
Like Rina, other women, Milon Nessa, Rokeya Begum and Shima Shom also became small entrepreneurs by dint of hard work.
ASA provided the loans to them under Small Entrepreneurs Lending (SEL) programme. The programme aims at alleviating poverty. Since its inception in 2003, ASA distributed Tk 60 lakh among 80 ultra-poor women. All of them became well-established in life by pursuing work like tailoring, poultry farming and pisciculture, according to SEL programme manager Mira Ghosh.