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Once a sleepy village now abuzz with activity

A garments factory in Netrakona makes poor women self-reliant

JAHANGIR ALAM, Netrakona
Amana Begum, 30, wife of a rickshawpuller, now works in a garments factory in a village and earns Tk 100 to Tk 150 a day.
"I can now maintain my family and will send my two sons and the daughter to school again", she said happily while talking to this corre-
spondent on Saturday.
The factory at Madni village in the Sadar upazila has been set up by 'Netrakona Integrated Development Project' (NIDP), a local NGO.
The once sleepy village is now buzzing with activity.
A garments factory has changed the village, which was beyond our
imagination, she said.
"This has opened up great opportunities for us', echoed Rahima Khatun, 25, who was working on her sewing machine sitting beside. She is also from Madni village. Rahima's husband is physically challenged and can not work.
Rahima worked as a domestic help earlier.
They are among 60 poor women who are now trying to change their life with the facility offered by NIDP.
They produce all types of garments and supply those to markets in Netrakona district and beyond.
The factory was opened on July 13.
NIDP provides a sewing machine to each women, supplies fabrics and also market the products.
NIDP Project Director Gopal Karmakar said the factory has been opened to create employment for poor women in Netrakona sadar upazial. Before starting the project, NIDO instructors gave them six months' training on garments making, along with subsistence allowance during the training period.
"We hope 90 per cent of these 60 women will be self-reliant by working in the factory" Gopal Karmakar said.
This correspondent talked with at least 10 women at the factory. They said the factory has created new hopes for them.
NIDP Planning Manager Abu Hanif they have a plan to establish 10 to 12 garments factories in different upazilas of the district in near future.
Abu Hanif said unemployed women have go to Dhaka for jobs in garments factories or to work as domestic help. This situation will change gradually when more such factories will be set up in rural areas.