From Illiterate to Entrepreneur

Rima* felt utterly helpless, trapped in a cycle of poverty and marital strife.

Facing significant challenges throughout her life, she was born into an underprivileged family and was married at the young age of 13. At 38 years old, Rima was unable to read or write, and her husband also lacked literacy skills.

The couple had no land or property of their own, forcing them to live in a state of constant financial hardship. As they struggled daily to make ends meet and provide for their family, tensions often arose within the household, leading to quarrels and conflicts.

Unfortunately, Rima isn’t the only one experiencing this harsh reality. In the communities crammed along the banks of the Jamuna River in Bangladesh, families are vulnerable to the increasing threat of flooding and the lack of economic opportunities. Most people are day labourers without steady jobs.

Girls and women are marginalized and are not guaranteed access to an education. While emotional and physical abuse are common, many girls are left feeling broken, worthless and without hope for the future.

The Road to Empowerment

Over the last nine years, we accompanied more than 2,300 vulnerable women like Rima on the road to empowerment.

Working with our local partner, Bangladesh Symbiosis, we gave women living along the Jamuna River the skills they needed to create a steady source of income and build a brighter future for themselves and their families.

There were three major steps on this road to empowerment. First, the women who joined the program received literacy and numeracy training.

Second, they teamed up to create savings and loan groups. Each group member contributed a small amount of money that, put together, constituted loans available for investing in income-generating activities. Gaining access to capital, these women started their own businesses, whether raising cattle, opening a furniture shop, making yogurt, tailoring clothes, or buying land to grow fruits and vegetables.

Third, the savings and loan groups came together to create community-based organizations (CBOs), non-profit organizations dedicated to meeting the needs of the community.

We recently celebrated the graduation of two CBOs from the program as they received their government registration. These CBOs will now come alongside ERDO and Bangladesh Symbiosis as partners and work to empower more people in their communities.

Graduating With Honours

One of our team members met Jesmin* at the graduation ceremony. She is a member of a CBO and has been part of her savings group since the beginning of the program over nine years ago.

“In the past, when problems came, my family and I could not cope. I was unhealthy in many ways – physically, nutritionally and financially,” said Jesmin.

By gaining access to microloans through the program, Jesmin bought a cow and opened a grocery store. When problems arise, she now feels empowered to solve them.

Like many other women taking part in the program, Jesmin not only developed new skills and built a successful business, but she also became a leader by helping others do the same.

She said, “I share my awareness with other people in my community regarding health, nutrition, income generation activities, savings, and the importance of education for our children.”

A Transformed Community

A local leader was among the many distinguished guests present at the graduation ceremony.

He said, “Before, the women and people of this community were unaware of many things, like finances, health, how to provide for themselves, and the value of education for children. Now, they are aware and share their awareness with others.

“Before, they were dependent, asking for help for many things, but now they are independent. Before, they were helpless, but now they are helping others in the community.”

ERDO Continues to Work in Bangladesh

Rima’s days of financial difficulty are now behind her, and she and her family are doing well. There is no longer any discord within the household. Rima continues to actively participate in her group’s savings activities and maintain the cow-rearing business she started through the program. She is grateful to ERDO and Bangladesh Symbiosis for providing her with the opportunity to transform her life.

Just like Rima, many women’s lives are being changed for good. “Their faces are shining. They’re proud of the businesses they’ve created and of being able to send their children to school,” said our team member who attended the graduation ceremony.

ERDO and Bangladesh Symbiosis continue to work together to equip and provide opportunities for families to break the cycle of poverty and thrive.

You can learn more about the Bangladesh Symbiosis program and help other women go from illiterate to entrepreneur.

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*All names have been changed to protect the identities of the people in these stories.

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This article was written by Ève Lacroix, the Digital Communications Officer at ERDO.