Kakoli Begum Changes her own Fate through Basket Making

When Dreams Comes into Reality

Kakoli Begum, a simple, industrious and courageous woman change her own fate through her will power and hard work. She lives in Gutiabo village of Rupganj Upazila under Narayanganj district. Her husband name is Shukkur Ali and they have 3 children. Elder son reads in class nine and only daughter reads in class seven. Their little boy can’t walk because his waist bone is broken. Today Kakoli Begum is self-sufficient and she is an idol of every women of this village. For listening her success story, we started our journey very early in the morning. The Gutiabo village is situated mainly in urban fringe areas. Once this area was renowned for agriculture, versatile crops were cultivated within this area. But this scenario is changed now a day because of rapid urbanization and excessive population. After reaching there, we observed that an old woman made bamboo basket. The old lady was the mother-in law of Kakoli Begum. She helped them for preparing bamboo basket.

Sooner Kakoli Begum came out from her house and welcomed us. She said that we passed a miserable life to come into this situation. On 2001, when I got married with my husband, I was read in class five. My husband was not so much educated and he was bound to take the responsibility of his family. He had to struggle a lot because he couldn’t get any properties from his father. At first she worked as a carpenter and it was really difficult for him to bear the family expenses and children education. When I found no other ways to get rid from this situation, I suggested my husband to build bamboo basket. Because my father was engage into this profession. It was much more profitable than the present job of my husband. We started our basket making business in 2009 by buying 50 bamboos for 2000 taka. At first we started business by borrowing money from people. We repaid the amount after selling our products. For preparing 40 baskets we required raw materials of 500 taka. We generally sold those products for 1500 taka. In each day we can prepare maximum 40 baskets. The local Mahajon (customer) came into our house once in a week and purchase all of our baskets. In each week we sold around baskets around 10000 taka. We also prepared different quality baskets based on the demand of our customers.

On 2012 we purchased half decimal land in this area and on 2018 we again purchased 1 decimal land for us. We successfully paid the loan amount through this business. On 2019, we received a loan amount 50000 taka from Chandi para Mohila Samiti under Rupganj Branch of Ambala Foundation. Through this money we started our business in a large scale. After successfully repaying the loan amount, we again received loan amount of 1 lakh taka from Ambala Foundation. This time, we used this loan for building my house. In the period of Corona Pandemic, I felt problems. Because of lock down, I couldn’t prepare any products. Because no one was interested to purchase those products during this situation and if we prepared those baskets that will be ruined.  As a result I was unable to provide two months installment of loan money. After lockdown, I again started selling my products. Now I can easy repay all the due loan amount of Ambala Foundation.

We have no staffs. My mother-in-law, husband and I mainly prepared those baskets. After bearing all the expenses, now we save around 15000 taka in each month. We are so much happy with my children and my mother-in-law. I have a dream to educate my children properly because I couldn’t complete my education. It suffered me a lot when I was remembering my days. I wish to receive more loans from Ambala Foundation in future. Through this money, I have a dream to expand my business and want to build a three storied building for my children.