Jhenaidah Correspondent :
The lone shelter home for the elderly mothers in Harinakundu Upazila village in Jhenaidah has been facing closure. The helpless and hopeless women have been passing their days there without sufficient food due to acute poverty. They have been going almost without food every day.
The founder of the home finds no way to continue the shelter home at her homestead at Jorapukuria village under Harinakundu upazila. But the home has shown ray of hope before the elderly women that encouraged them survive in the world.
The upazila administration in Harinakundu has been trying to continue the home with its limited resources anyway. Nimori Khatun, Jharna Khatun, Baharan Nessa and some other inmates of Jharna-Sarejan Punarbasan Kendra (a shelter home for the destitute elderly women) at Jorapukuria village in Harinakundu upazila said, the home has became safe home for them.
89 -year old Chiaran Nessa said, she has taken decision to commit suicide when her children denied off providing any food and lodging for her due to acute poverty in the family. Further, the daughter -in -law (wife of her son) was showing her unwillingness so that she could not stay any more in the family.
Jahura Khatun, 65, another inmate of the shelter home said, she taken shelter to shelter home when her husband married once again.
85- year old Baharan Nessa said, her children has denied off providing them regular food as they do not have capacity for the elderly people. Just then they joined the shelter home for past few years.
The women asked if the shelter home was closed for want of money, where should they go at the end of the life cycles, they said.
Ismat Ara, the founder of Jharna-Sarejan Punarbasan Kendra informed, she was providing support to the local destitute and elderly women in her area about seven years back. She was ensuring their food almost regular. But the demand was increasing day by day as the information was circulated in surrounding villages. At last her husband Safiuddin, tailor in profession donated two decimals of land for the centre that turned to a registered shelter home for the elderly women.
Ismat Ara said, since the inception she was running the centre at her own initiatives that she has been earning with stitching quilt, napkins, wall mats, pillow covers, table cover and some other ways. As she could not meet the demand of the under privileged women, she started selling her land properties and sold five and a quarter bighas of land that she and her husband owned.
She informed a total of 20 elderly women have been living in Jharna-Sarejan Punarbasan Kendra who completely depends of the income of the entrepreneur. Some of the women can stitch and make hand fan and other home appliances which they can spend for their cleanness and other purposes.
The district council had allocated a sum of Taka 50 thousand with which she constructed a tin shed house for the convenient of the inmates. So-me prizes, presentations and crest that she owned from various government and non- organizations, personalities were donated for the wellbeing of the elderly mothers, Ismat Ara added.
Ismat Ara with sorrow said, she cannot manage the educational expenses of her daughter studying in the honours class in a university due to her financial limitations.
Manira Parvin, upazila nirbahi officer of Harinakundu when contacted said, she (UNO) had advised the chairmen of the union parishads to ensure vulnerable group development (VGD) and vulnerable group feeding (VGF) for all the inmates of the Jharna-Sarejan Punarbasan Kendra.
The founder had shown a great instance before the society as even any have less men or women could initiate noble practices for the welfare of the mankind, Manira Parvin said.
Further, her office will ensure the supply of relief materials and other local assistances form any well to do people and organizations that will help for the have less elderly women in Harinakundu village.
The lone shelter home for the elderly mothers in Harinakundu Upazila village in Jhenaidah has been facing closure. The helpless and hopeless women have been passing their days there without sufficient food due to acute poverty. They have been going almost without food every day.
The founder of the home finds no way to continue the shelter home at her homestead at Jorapukuria village under Harinakundu upazila. But the home has shown ray of hope before the elderly women that encouraged them survive in the world.
The upazila administration in Harinakundu has been trying to continue the home with its limited resources anyway. Nimori Khatun, Jharna Khatun, Baharan Nessa and some other inmates of Jharna-Sarejan Punarbasan Kendra (a shelter home for the destitute elderly women) at Jorapukuria village in Harinakundu upazila said, the home has became safe home for them.
89 -year old Chiaran Nessa said, she has taken decision to commit suicide when her children denied off providing any food and lodging for her due to acute poverty in the family. Further, the daughter -in -law (wife of her son) was showing her unwillingness so that she could not stay any more in the family.
Jahura Khatun, 65, another inmate of the shelter home said, she taken shelter to shelter home when her husband married once again.
85- year old Baharan Nessa said, her children has denied off providing them regular food as they do not have capacity for the elderly people. Just then they joined the shelter home for past few years.
The women asked if the shelter home was closed for want of money, where should they go at the end of the life cycles, they said.
Ismat Ara, the founder of Jharna-Sarejan Punarbasan Kendra informed, she was providing support to the local destitute and elderly women in her area about seven years back. She was ensuring their food almost regular. But the demand was increasing day by day as the information was circulated in surrounding villages. At last her husband Safiuddin, tailor in profession donated two decimals of land for the centre that turned to a registered shelter home for the elderly women.
Ismat Ara said, since the inception she was running the centre at her own initiatives that she has been earning with stitching quilt, napkins, wall mats, pillow covers, table cover and some other ways. As she could not meet the demand of the under privileged women, she started selling her land properties and sold five and a quarter bighas of land that she and her husband owned.
She informed a total of 20 elderly women have been living in Jharna-Sarejan Punarbasan Kendra who completely depends of the income of the entrepreneur. Some of the women can stitch and make hand fan and other home appliances which they can spend for their cleanness and other purposes.
The district council had allocated a sum of Taka 50 thousand with which she constructed a tin shed house for the convenient of the inmates. So-me prizes, presentations and crest that she owned from various government and non- organizations, personalities were donated for the wellbeing of the elderly mothers, Ismat Ara added.
Ismat Ara with sorrow said, she cannot manage the educational expenses of her daughter studying in the honours class in a university due to her financial limitations.
Manira Parvin, upazila nirbahi officer of Harinakundu when contacted said, she (UNO) had advised the chairmen of the union parishads to ensure vulnerable group development (VGD) and vulnerable group feeding (VGF) for all the inmates of the Jharna-Sarejan Punarbasan Kendra.
The founder had shown a great instance before the society as even any have less men or women could initiate noble practices for the welfare of the mankind, Manira Parvin said.
Further, her office will ensure the supply of relief materials and other local assistances form any well to do people and organizations that will help for the have less elderly women in Harinakundu village.
