Economic Reporter :
The life of Lutfa Begum was not easy like now as she and her husband could not properly manage all expenses needed for their family, even the education of their children, for money crisis.
Poverty led Lutfa’s conjugal life to trouble. They had a piece of land where they made a thatched hut. They owned only 50-decimal cultivable land from inheritance and took another 140-decimal as leased.
“My husband cultivated the land. But he could not earn much. By this time, I became mother of four children, three sons and one daughter. They are all going to school now. We want our children to achieve higher education. Our ambition was very high, but lack of money was our regular companion,” said Lutfa Begum, who was also born in a poor farmer family in Comilla.
In this situation, Lutfa registered herself with the Borgachasi Unnayan Project (BCUP) of BRAC in 2015. Bangladesh Bank nominated BRAC for running its refinance scheme, titled “Sharecroppers Refinance Scheme”.
At first, she borrowed an amount of Taka 100,000 and invested it fully in tomato cultivation. In 2016, they cultivated 150 decimals of land with tomato which cost them Taka 3, 00,000. Due to a favorable weather condition, they got a good harvest of tomato and sold it for Taka 5, 00,000.
Last year, they borrowed Taka 2, 00,000 from the refinance scheme and cultivated tomato in 140 decimals of land. They earned Taka 7,50,000.
Alongside farming, her husband runs a grocery shop at a nearby market. Now, they are financially very well off. Financial hardship has gone away from their family. Their four children are going to school regularly.
Like Lutfa Begum, Resma is an ordinary housewife with two children. She did not send her children to school due to poverty. She is now self-reliant through agricultural activities.
The life of Lutfa Begum was not easy like now as she and her husband could not properly manage all expenses needed for their family, even the education of their children, for money crisis.
Poverty led Lutfa’s conjugal life to trouble. They had a piece of land where they made a thatched hut. They owned only 50-decimal cultivable land from inheritance and took another 140-decimal as leased.
“My husband cultivated the land. But he could not earn much. By this time, I became mother of four children, three sons and one daughter. They are all going to school now. We want our children to achieve higher education. Our ambition was very high, but lack of money was our regular companion,” said Lutfa Begum, who was also born in a poor farmer family in Comilla.
In this situation, Lutfa registered herself with the Borgachasi Unnayan Project (BCUP) of BRAC in 2015. Bangladesh Bank nominated BRAC for running its refinance scheme, titled “Sharecroppers Refinance Scheme”.
At first, she borrowed an amount of Taka 100,000 and invested it fully in tomato cultivation. In 2016, they cultivated 150 decimals of land with tomato which cost them Taka 3, 00,000. Due to a favorable weather condition, they got a good harvest of tomato and sold it for Taka 5, 00,000.
Last year, they borrowed Taka 2, 00,000 from the refinance scheme and cultivated tomato in 140 decimals of land. They earned Taka 7,50,000.
Alongside farming, her husband runs a grocery shop at a nearby market. Now, they are financially very well off. Financial hardship has gone away from their family. Their four children are going to school regularly.
Like Lutfa Begum, Resma is an ordinary housewife with two children. She did not send her children to school due to poverty. She is now self-reliant through agricultural activities.
