Bashundhara Group helps insolvent women attain self-reliance

Bashundhara Group has started imparting a 10-day sewing training to insolvent women in three upazilas of Pabna.

A number of 50 women are receiving the training in Bhangura, Chatmohar and Sujanagar upazilas. They will also get machines after completion of the training.

Noted litterateur and Kaler Kantho Editor-in-Chief Imdadul Haq Milan will hand over the machines to them at a function on September 25. 
The participants of the training are learning cutting and sewing clothes twice a week. They are weaving dreams with every stitch. Some of them would like to be self-reliant while some entrepreneurs in the future.

Golam Hasnain Russel, mayor of Bhangura Municipality, inaugurated the training programme at a function on the premises of Govt. Bhangura Union High School and College. The number of trainees in the upazila is 15.

Tuli Rani Sarker, literary and cultural affairs secretary of Bhangura unit Bashundhara Shuvosangho, and Koli Rani, organising secretary, are imparting knowledge of sewing to the participant women as trainers.

In the first day of training, the participants were introduced to the parts of the sewing machines and usages. The training session became lively with spontaneous participation of the trainees. Taking part in the training, many women, including widow Ruma Khatun, became emotional and vowed to be self-reliant by adopting tailoring as profession.

Ruma Khatun said, “My husband died three years after our marriage. His death put me in financial trouble. Now I along with my son Omar Faruk is fighting with poverty.”

Terming sewing work ‘last hope’, she wanted to earn money from tailoring after completing the training well.
“Currently, a sewing machine is out of my reach. Like others, I will get a machine from the Bashundhara Group after the training. The machine will enable me and my son to live well,” she said.

Marjina Khatun, another trainee, said her husband is physically disabled and unable to do any work.

“My son is a higher secondary student at a local college. I cannot bear the cost of family, let alone his education,” she added.

Marjina said she will receive a sewing machine from Bashundhara Group and earn money from tailoring works.

“From the beginning of our conjugal life, my addicted husband used to torture me. After five years of marriage, I was abandoned. My daughter was a victim of child marriage and she was also abandoned by husband. Finding no way out, both of us are receiving sewing training. And we hope to be self-reliant someday,” said Sahana Khatun, a trainee.

Expressing gratitude to Bashundhara Group, she said, “The largest business conglomerate has stood by us in a critical time. May Allah bless the owner of the corporate body.”

Like Ruma, Marjina and Sahana, 12 other distressed women are receiving sewing training from Bashundhara Shuvosangho centre. Later, they will be given sewing machines.

Golam Hasnain Russel, mayor of Bhangura Municipality and General Secretary of Upazila Awami League, said, “We are inspired by the social welfare activities of Bashundhara Group. The sewing training introduced by the leading corporate body will make the distressed women self-reliant. It is really a commendable initiative.”

SOURCE : Daily Sun