An unfaltering spirit

Shahinur Akhter, now 32, was abandoned by her mother at the age of only six.

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Shahinur Akhter, now 32, was abandoned by her mother at the age of only six.

One fateful winter evening, a gypsy man found a crying Shahinur at the local railway station (often called Boro Station) in Chandpur municipality. The man took her back to his family, and it was his wife, Moyna Begum, who raised Shahinur like their own daughter.

"Growing up, life was difficult. While my dream had always been to finish my education, I could only study up to the fifth grade. My family was struggling financially, so I had to stop studying and help out my mother," said Shahinur.

Later on, Shahinur started a sewing apprenticeship, where she earned 200 taka every month, while also learning the craft. After one full year of training, she bought a sewing machine for 1500 taka and started her own tailoring business. At one point she was earning 1000 taka per month from her small business.

A friend of Shahinur's, Lucky, advised her to save 100 taka per month in the post office savings scheme. Using the return from this savings, Shahinur purchased fabric from the market to sew and start selling children's clothes. This doubled her monthly income to 2000 taka.

In 2006, Shahinur married a member of the gypsy community, Arab Ali (35). Together, they had two children, and built a house from tin and bamboo on the riverbanks of Dakatia, with the permission of the gypsy community. They financed the construction using a loan from Asha Samiti (micro-credit institution).

While things were going well for the family, tragedy struck in the form of Cyclone Amphan in 2020, which destroyed their home. The family had to take another loan, from Arab Ali's office, to rebuild their home.

However, even when faced with disaster, Shahinur was resolute in helping her community thrive.

She joined the Char Bepari Bari Community Development Committee (CDC) formed by Chandpur Municipality and UNDP. The members of the CDC elected Shahinur as the president, and she was given the responsibility of being a community leader.

"I was selected by UNDP to receive 10,000 taka for business assistance in 2020. This is when I restarted my sewing business. Now, I earn 5,000 taka every month from my business, from which I save 1000 taka and spend the rest on the education of my children," said Shahinur.

"In the future, I hope to expand my sewing business and recruit women who I can train. I want to help other women make a living so that they can improve their lives. And someday, when my business is even more successful and I have saved some money, I will buy a piece of land where we can build a permanent residence," Shahinur concluded.