Building a thriving business in bangladesh
December 5, 2024
Building a thriving business IN BANGLADESH
December 5, 2024
Hosneyara, 38, lives in a village in the Satkhira district in Bangladesh with her husband and children. As is often the case in her community, Hosneyara was married very young, completing her education in Grade 5. She was dependent on her husband to support the family, but her husband, a rickshaw driver, earned on average just 1.50 taka a day ($1.75 CAD). They struggled to meet their family’s needs.
For years, Hosneyera felt she could do nothing to alleviate the hard realities of daily life. Then, in 2018, she joined a women’s group facilitated by World Renew’s local partner, Faith in Action (FIA). Hosneyara and the other members each contributed 20 taka ($0.23 CAD) weekly to a savings pool and learned the discipline of saving. Hosneyara also took part in literacy and accounting training, and she participated in Income Generating Activities (IGA) training opportunities in small business, poultry farming, and vegetable gardening. Hosneyara was eager to start her own small business but didn’t have the funds needed, so she just continued depositing 20 taka every week in her group savings account.
By 2021, the women’s group saving pool had grown large enough for members to take out low-interest loans. Hosneyara took out a loan and bought a rickshaw so that her husband wouldn’t have to rent one anymore. In 2023, after paying back that loan, she borrowed more money, and together with her husband transformed their rickshaw into a food cart. Hosneyara began preparing snacks that her husband could sell from the food cart.
Hosneyara is now a partner in this thriving business. This year, she hired two women from her FIA group to help make all the snacks needed to meet the demands of this successful business venture. Five years ago, Hosneyara felt powerless to change her family’s situation, but today she is a partner helping her family thrive and offering work opportunities to others.
“This program built my capacity to be a good manager of my business and my family,” Hosneyara shares. “Today, we have no financial crisis. We are enjoying a happy family life. I am thankful to FIA and World Renew.”
Hosneyara, 38, lives in a village in the Satkhira district in Bangladesh with her husband and children. As is often the case in her community, Hosneyara was married very young, completing her education in Grade 5. She was dependent on her husband to support the family, but her husband, a rickshaw driver, earned on average just 1.50 taka a day (1.75 CAD). They struggled to meet their family’s needs.
For years, Hosneyera felt she could do nothing to alleviate the hard realities of daily life. Then, in 2018, she joined a women’s group facilitated by World Renew’s local partner, Faith in Action (FIA). Hosneyara and the other members each contributed 20 taka (.23 CAD) weekly to a savings pool and learned the discipline of saving. Hosneyara also took part in literacy and accounting training, and she participated in Income Generating Activities (IGA) training opportunities in small business, poultry farming, and vegetable gardening. Hosneyara was eager to start her own small business but didn’t have the funds needed, so she just continued depositing 20 taka every week in her group savings account.
By 2021, the women’s group saving pool had grown large enough for members to take out low-interest loans. Hosneyara took out a loan and bought a rickshaw so that her husband wouldn’t have to rent one anymore. In 2023, after paying back that loan, she borrowed more money, and together with her husband transformed their rickshaw into a food cart. Hosneyara began preparing snacks that her husband could sell from the food cart.
Hosneyara is now a partner in this thriving business. This year, she hired two women from her FIA group to help make all the snacks needed to meet the demands of this successful business venture. Five years ago, Hosneyara felt powerless to change her family’s situation, but today she is a partner helping her family thrive and offering work opportunities to others.
“This program built my capacity to be a good manager of my business and my family,” Hosneyara shares. “Today, we have no financial crisis. We are enjoying a happy family life. I am thankful to FIA and World Renew.”
