BSS, Rangpur :
The fortune of the river-eroded women and children have been changing fast after their rehabilitation at the ‘Asrayan Prokalpo’ in Gangachara upazila here under various government assistance in recent years.
The rehabilitated floating women, children and other family members, who lost everything following repeated river erosions over the years, have also been achieving self-reliance with continuous assistance under the project.
Under the ‘Asrayan Prokalpo’, 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.
Talking to BSS, 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 narrated their success stories.
Rehabilitated Beauty Khatun, Feroza Begum, Shahzadi, Mariyam Nesa, Bulbuli Begum, Lalbanu and many others at Purbo Kochua-1 Asrayan Prokalpo narrated their long stories of sufferings and getting back life anew with new hopes and aspirations.
Earlier, the river eroded women with their children and family members led floating life amid untold miseries on embankments, high lands or other places for 10 to 13 years or even more after losing houses, property, arable lands and everything they had.
They have now 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 necessary 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 Begum, Aklima and Tobiya Khatun. Like many others, Feroza Begum said that she became homeless 16 years back after the river Teesta devoured everything they had in nearby village Purbo Kochua Fakirpara.
She elaborately narrated with tears of emotion 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 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.
After providing training in income generation and other issues, Gangachara Upazila Cooperative Office provided with Taka 6,000 microcredit in the beginning to every rehabilitated family, she said.
“I first bought a heifer, started grocery business and completed loan payments timely to get Taka 10,000 microcredit and subsequently Taka 15,000 again when I took lease of seven decimal cultivable lands that give three crops a year,” she said. “I am now leading a happier life and I have assets including three cows, grocery shop and others amounting to over Taka 3.5 lakh though I had nothing after becoming homeless following river erosion,” a happier Feroza said.
Similarly, rehabilitated women Beauty Begum, Shahzadi, divorcee Begum, Anichha Begum and many others narrated their success stories of achieving self-reliance getting cooperative microcredit loans four times so far after 100 percent loan payments.
“I have now assets of Taka 3.3 lakh and I am earning through cultivating crops on own land, crushing paddy and irrigating crop fields of others using shallow machine and our children Minal, 16, Tazul, 11, and Tanzina, 9, are going to school,” Anichha added.
Gangachara Upazila Cooperative Officer Hosne Ara Begum and chairman of local Nohali union Abul Kalam Azad Titul said the government assistance under the ‘Asrayan Prokalpo’ have changed fortune of the rehabilitated women and their children.
The fortune of the river-eroded women and children have been changing fast after their rehabilitation at the ‘Asrayan Prokalpo’ in Gangachara upazila here under various government assistance in recent years.
The rehabilitated floating women, children and other family members, who lost everything following repeated river erosions over the years, have also been achieving self-reliance with continuous assistance under the project.
Under the ‘Asrayan Prokalpo’, 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.
Talking to BSS, 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 narrated their success stories.
Rehabilitated Beauty Khatun, Feroza Begum, Shahzadi, Mariyam Nesa, Bulbuli Begum, Lalbanu and many others at Purbo Kochua-1 Asrayan Prokalpo narrated their long stories of sufferings and getting back life anew with new hopes and aspirations.
Earlier, the river eroded women with their children and family members led floating life amid untold miseries on embankments, high lands or other places for 10 to 13 years or even more after losing houses, property, arable lands and everything they had.
They have now 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 necessary 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 Begum, Aklima and Tobiya Khatun. Like many others, Feroza Begum said that she became homeless 16 years back after the river Teesta devoured everything they had in nearby village Purbo Kochua Fakirpara.
She elaborately narrated with tears of emotion 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 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.
After providing training in income generation and other issues, Gangachara Upazila Cooperative Office provided with Taka 6,000 microcredit in the beginning to every rehabilitated family, she said.
“I first bought a heifer, started grocery business and completed loan payments timely to get Taka 10,000 microcredit and subsequently Taka 15,000 again when I took lease of seven decimal cultivable lands that give three crops a year,” she said. “I am now leading a happier life and I have assets including three cows, grocery shop and others amounting to over Taka 3.5 lakh though I had nothing after becoming homeless following river erosion,” a happier Feroza said.
Similarly, rehabilitated women Beauty Begum, Shahzadi, divorcee Begum, Anichha Begum and many others narrated their success stories of achieving self-reliance getting cooperative microcredit loans four times so far after 100 percent loan payments.
“I have now assets of Taka 3.3 lakh and I am earning through cultivating crops on own land, crushing paddy and irrigating crop fields of others using shallow machine and our children Minal, 16, Tazul, 11, and Tanzina, 9, are going to school,” Anichha added.
Gangachara Upazila Cooperative Officer Hosne Ara Begum and chairman of local Nohali union Abul Kalam Azad Titul said the government assistance under the ‘Asrayan Prokalpo’ have changed fortune of the rehabilitated women and their children.
