Beauty a self-reliant women

Hamida Akter Beauty is a member of Meghna group situated at Licubagan areas of old town Jashore. She was grown up at post office area of Jashore, she completed 5 grade education. She was married off at the age of 13 years as her choice. Monirul Zaman Hiron husband of Beauty worked as clerk along with running vendor business. She is the mother of two daughter children in her 16 years of married life. Currently her elder daughter is studying at higher secondary level and younger one is at class III.

Within the 5 months of her marriage, husband left away her and she was 3 months  pregnant at that time. Though her husband returned but he was then addicted. Finding no other ways, she started to work at house as maid with Tk. 2000 salary to the responsibility of the family. Then after many attempts she got a job in a clinic in the city with a salary of Tk. 3800. All the expenses of the family were on her. When her husband demands money then she became bound to give. She was passing the days with misery. Seeing her misery, her sister suggested her to run clothes’ business and lent her Tk. 10000 to start the business. Beauty welcomed the idea. Then she got started her business purchasing clothes, women dresses and lungi from big market as retailer. During this period, she became member of IED organized awareness groups. She became more aware through group meeting. Her products attracted much demand in the areas but she had little capital compare to that. To grow the business, she borrowed Tk. 20000 from a person with high interest rate . However, she does not see much profit. In this time, she became member of UNDP’s UPPR. From there, she borrowed Tk. 30000 to repay the previous loan and invested the rest in business. Then she tries to figure out how to increase her earnings. She discussed the matter at the group meeting. She consulted with her relatives. Gradually her business grew up and the demand for capital increased. In 2016, she applied for a loan at Sonali Bank and received a loan of Tk. 49,000 from the bank.

This time she suddenly found out that her husband has  married another woman. The husband started physical torturing when she found and disclosed.  At one point she tried to commit suicide because she could not bear the torture. The group members and her family then protected her and took steps to prevent her husband to come her home.  The group members told her in-laws that she should cooperate so that Beauty could stay at her father-in-law’s house with her children so that her husband (Monirul Zaman Hiron) could not move in with his second wife. With the help of the group and members of the community forum, Beauty is staying at home.

In 2015, she repaid the first phase of loan amount Tk. 49000 that she took from Sonali Bank and she again took loan Tk. 50000 in 2018. In July 2019, she repaid all the money and took a loan of Tk. 60,000 from Agrani Bank. At present her capital is about 3 lakh taka. In 2019, she was elected as Jayita (Winner) in the entrepreneur category on the occasion of Women Violence Prevention Week and Rokeya Day. Through her training at various times and her regular participation in group awareness meetings, she has come to realize the great need for women’s awareness and economic empowerment.