Hundreds of rehabilitated river-eroded and homeless women have changed their fortune to lead better life with new hopes for their children now under assistances of the ‘Asrayan Prokalpo’ in Gangachara upazila here.
The rehabilitated floating women, who lost everything following repeated river erosions over the years, have achieved self-reliance with continuous assistances of the’Asrayan Prokalpo’ in recent years.
Under the programme, 700 river-eroded women-led families, living in 70 barracks at ten projects built in the upazila, have got houses, address, livelihoods and dream of brighter future for their children.
The rehabilitated women at Purbo Kochua-1 and 2 Asrayan Prokalpo, Neelchondi Asrayan Prokalpo, Chengmari Asrayan Prokalpo-1, Bagpur Asrayan Prokalpo, Balatari Asrayan Prokalpo and Chengmari 1 and 2 Asrayan Prokalpo and Lalchand Asrayan Prokalpo recently narrated their success stories.
Talking to BSS, rehabilitated Feroza, Beauty, Shahzadi, Mariyam, Bulbuli, and many others at Purbo Kochua-1 Asrayan Prokalpo narrated their long stories of sufferings and getting back life anew with hopes and aspirations.
Earlier, the river eroded women with the family members led floating life amid untold miseries on the embankments, high lands or places of others for 10 to 12 years or even more after losing houses, property, arable lands and everything they had.
“After rehabilitation, they have got houses, address, livelihoods and dream of brighter future for children following the comprehensive social safety-net programmes being implemented by the present government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The beneficiary women have got training, input and support from local government departments and Upazila Cooperative Office provided them with revolving interest-free micro credits for income generating activities.
“We have been earning profits to increase our capitals consistently through small-scale businesses, animal husbandry, poultry, tree plantation, vegetables and fruit farming at homesteads,” said rehabilitated Bulbuli and Tobiya.
Like many others, Feroza said she became homeless 14 years back after the river Teesta devoured everything they had in nearby village Purbo Kochua Fakirpara.
She said as how she passed miserable days for many years amid uncertainty with their two children on the lands of others and flood control embankments.
“But, everything started changing fast when I got shelter at Purbo Kochua-1 Asrayan Prokalpo after the then government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina completed its construction during her previous tenure 1996-2001,” she added.
