Cattle rearing brings her solvency

Cattle rearing finally alleviated her poverty. Wife of rickshaw puller Meher Ali of Dashora village in Manikganj municipality, Saleha Begum wanted to bring solvency but there was no way out to make her family happy.

Family's poverty made the 45-year-old woman depressed and she was determined to do anything to bring family's solvency.

With the help of her neighbour, she became a member of Muslim Aid Bangladesh, a Non Government Organisation (NGO) in June 2005 and after a week, she got Tk 6000 interest free loan. Adding her Tk 4 thousand with the loan money, Saleha purchased a cow for Tk 10 thousand.

“I repaid the loan money and took another loan of Tk 20 thousand which was spent for buying two more cattle in July 2006,” Saleha said, adding that she took loan of Tk 50 thousand for buying an Australian cow the following year.

“Now I am owner of 15 cattle, including eight cows, five calves and two buffalos. I get 70-80 litres of milk everyday,” she added.

Saleha's son Saidur Rahman is a second year student of BSS at Government Devendra College and daughter Barsha Akhter Amena is a Class IX student of Khan Bahadur Awlad Hossain Khan School. Her elder daughter Sharmin Akhter got married two years ago.

The woman has now become an icon for other villagers who want to change their fate.

She shares her experience to inspire other women to take similar initiative. PHOTO: STAR

Her rickshaw puller husband said he helped his wife for caring cattle in the farm in his leisure time. “I sell the produced milk in the local market,” he said, adding that their present earning is Tk 40-45 thousand per month.

“My dream could not have been fulfilled if the NGO did not help me by giving interest free loan”, Saleha said. Now her dream is to educate their son and daughter, she added.

Manikganj Branch Manager of Muslim Aid Bangladesh Zahedul Islam said “We salute Saleha Begum as she achieved success through properly utilising our small loan.”