The New Nation - Internet Edition

Md. Mahbubur Rahman Bulbul

Micro credit loans could help millions of poor women to become self-dependent and to support own family and employees working in their projects. Micro credit has created a class of micro entrepreneurs in Bangladesh and it is gratifying to find that women make up a part of that number. In Bangladesh, there are many successful shops, production house and farms owned and managed by women. Some launch a business project to uplift their economic status, while others venture into the business arena to do 'something different' or 'something differently' and importantly, worthwhile for society. Women Entrepreneurs are making their presence felt in rural areas too. Village women mainly start business in the struggle for survival, but with a little support from micro finance institution (MFI) supported by their NGOs and social welfare organisations, they can go beyond the subsistence level and make healthy profits from their thriving business activities. These women innovate and change the production function - the fundamental attributes of an entrepreneurs. Because they have modest resources, they are known as micro entrepreneurs; however, they discover new sources of supply of inputs and new markets, just like any other entrepreneurs. There are big MFIs in Bangladesh who are playing vital role for creating a huge number of women micro entrepreneurs and empowerment of women by their micro finance assistance. Among them- ASA, BRAC, GRAMEEN Bank, BURO Tangail, Jagoroni Chakraw, TMSS etc. are very popular and effective MFI in Bangladesh. ASA is one of them who is the largest MFI in the world. As for example, the following case-study can represents the whole successful and positive change of ASA's women micro entrepreneurs all over Bangladesh. Bangladesh is no exception so far revealed from the success story of a woman micro entrepreneur who became rich by starting dairy farm within a very short time.

Her name is Nur Jahan Begum. She is 45 years old. Her husband is Md. Abdur Rab. Once, she was purely a house-wife. But she turned herself into a model to others by earning a very good amount of taka by selling different kinds of cow and milk from her well established dairy farm. She read up to class Ten. In 1997, she got married with Mr. Abdur Rab. Their conjugal life was not happy at the initial stage. They faced a lot of financial crisis. Just then, she came into touch with ASA, Pathantuly Branch in Narayanganj district. Regional Manager Md. Shahjahan Bhaye, and Branch Manager Md. Liton Mian encouraged her to build dairy project on her residence 10 years' ago. At the beginning stage, she was sanctioned taka 5000 as micro loan by ASA. She is a successful mother of 4 sons and 1 daughter. Now she is a successful· owner of a big 'Dairy farm'. She is a old borrower of ASA's SEL programme.

She has been living in Godnail area under Shiddhirganj thana of Narayanganj district for 25 years. There are 10 numbers of Australian cows in her dairy farm.

The value of each cow is minimum Tk 50,000 and maximum' 1.5 lacks. Now, she is very rich and self-sustainable women. But her previous financial condition was not rich. Before her marriage, at first she bought a cow by Tk. 8000. After 6 months she sold that cow by Tk.10,000. The amount of her profit was TK 2000. That was her starting point to positive change in her life style.

When she was planning to develop her business then she got a big financial support from ASA. At first she got 50,000 taka as a big amount from ASA under SEL loan programme in 2003. Gradually, she increased the number of cow in her dairy farm by the profit of her business.

The prime source of her profit is selling of milk. Other business is purchasing and selling of cow. Both are huge profitable. Per-day she gets 25 liters milk from each cow. Totally, she gets 100 litres milk from her 10 cows.

The total value of per litre milk is Tk. 35. In an average, per-day she sells milk of Tk. 3500. Monthly her total profit from her dairy farm is Tk. 30,000 without her all cost. Otherwise, when she purchased a cow by Tk. 20,000 after 6 or 10 months she sold that cow by Tk 40,000 to Tk. 60,000. She bought 20 kathas for her own land in Godnail area of Shiddhirganj by the profit of all sources of dairy farm. Now she is well established and self-sustainable women. She got National Award by 2 times from Bangladesh government for her work and self-sustainability. Lastly Nur Jahan Begum got 1 lakh taka from ASA, Pathantuly Branch. She invested amount with all cooperation of her husband in her dairy farm and yielded good profit. She is always pleased to ASA's authority for the financial assistance under SEL programme. Additional District Manager of Narayanganj district Md. Mahbubul Alam played a vital role to develop her project.