Jahora Bewa, a widow of Ganga Narayan village, was in utter distress when her two sons left her. Finding no other way, she began begging from door to door. At one stage of seeking alms, she luckily got a work of knitting tupis (cap) under a female supervisor. Now she herself supervises such knitting work and earns about Tk 2,000amonth.

Not only 65-year-old Jahora, about 3,500 poor women from ten villages of Kaunia upazila of the district, including school and college going female students, are now earning money by knitting tupis at their own house for a factory of Abdul Awal who started his venture in 2004 at Sahbaz village of the upazila.

Kaunia upazila was affected by 'monga'

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even three years back but Awal's venture is a 'strong tool' to fight against the famine-like situation as he has created the source of income for the poor women that has changed the economic scenario in the area silently.

Without help of any NGO or government organisation, Awal who always stays in Oman is running the factory using the workforce of the poor women. He has been earning foreign currencies by exporting home knitted tupis to Oman since 2006.

Saiful Islam, younger brother of Awal, said, “The poor women are now earning money besides their household works and even female students do not think to stop their education for financial hardship as they earn money by kitting tupis.”

Awal collects order for tupi from businessmen of Oman. His sons--Sohag Mondal and Saiful Islam Mondal--are in charge of production of the factory at Sahbaz village. They are producing tupis through the female workers and sending its consignment to Awal in Oman.

Sohag said his father was the imam of Kurigram Textile Mill Jame mosque. When the textile mill was laid off during nineties, he came back home in Kaunia and began to think about alternative occupation. Then he went to Feni, There he joined a private farm that exported tupis to Oman. He worked there for about three years.

After returning from Feni, he (Awal) set up a small factory with twelve workers and began to knit tupis there. He used to supply tupis to the farm in Feni since 2006, he added.

From January 2006 Awal himself started to export tupis to Oman. Day by day he has increased his production and engaged more female workers inknittingtupis.

When contacted over phone Awal from Oman said, now he is able to send two consignments of 900 pieces of tupi a week to Oman through

FedEx. He hoped that his factory would export at least 1,000 pieces of tupi a week by theendof2010.

He said Pakistan exports highest quantity of tupi to Oman as its yarn is cheaper , and better in quality. Next to Pakistan, Bangladesh exports tupi in the country.

About 3,500 female workers from ten villages are knit ting tupis at their house under about 50 female supervisors after they were imparted training on knitting tupi.

The supervisors receive cloth and yarn as per the order from the factory. Then they assign the workers under their supervision to knit tupis with the materials.

A worker can knit at least three tupis in a month said Sahara Banu of Shabaz village adding that a worker gets Tk 350 against knitting a tupi while a supervisor gets Tk 30. A tupi is sold at Tk 800-850 in Oman while its production and other cost total about Tk 600-650.

Lucky, first year student of HSC of Kaunia College, said her mother works as a domestic help and her father works at a garment factory in Dhaka.

She said, “It was really hard for me to continue my studies. While I was in class ten, my parents asked me to discontinue the study due to financial constraint. They could not stop me because I began to earn money by knitting tupis under Samina Akter, a supervisor of the tupi factory."

She proudly continued: "I myself paid the amount of money to fill in the form for SSC examination. Even, 1 paid fees to admit in HSC at Kaunia college.”

Upazila nirbahi officer of Kaunia Anwar Hossain said, "I heard about Awal and his venture. It is really praiseworthy.”

Parliament member of Rangpur-4 constituency Tipu Munshi said, “The government may do within its capacity to promote Awal's enterprise because he has taken the real step to alleviate poverty andmonga.”