ESDO-SAMHATI Support Makes a Difference
Tulen: A poor village girl
comes to the light from the dark

Village - Charani Sherpur      
Union - Betgari
Upazilla - Gangachara
District – Rangpur
Time line: January 2004 – December 2006

 “I feel deep sense of gratitude to ESDO-SAMHATI that, they gave me such an opportunity to become a self sufficient woman” said Tulen a beneficiary member of ESDO at Rangpur. She expresses thanks to ESDO-SAMHATI for their remarkable work for the destitute women in her village and surroundings. Environment and Social Development Organization-ESDO is a Bangladeshi organization which aims to raise environmental awareness in Bangladesh, and contribute to the conservation of biological diversity and ecological sustainability. As a service oriented non-profit and  Non-Government Organization (NGO), ESDO focuses on developing Bangladesh’s socio-economic status in conjunction with sustainable management of the physical environment, consistent with the principles of ecologically sustainable development. To achieve the above objectives ESDO has introduced a new concept called the Eco-Village in three different regions of Bangladesh.  SAMHATI is a US based non-profit organization registered in the State of Maryland.  The members of the Board of Directors and Advisors are women of Bangladeshi origin.  They raise funds for the development of women and children in Bangladesh.  SAMHATI also distributes disaster relief, such as for Cyclone SIDR and for Hurricane Katrina.

During 2004-2006 ESDO implemented the project, “Development of Women through Capacity Building and Introducing ICT for Empowerment” at Betgari and Charani villages of Gangachara Thana of Rangpur district (see map) under the funding of SAMHATI, USA. The main objective of this project is to empower the most destitute women of the region by providing educational facilities, training programs, facilitating credit support, building awareness, and encouraging self motivation, which will lead to greater self-sufficiency and a better standard of living. ESDO has provided different training programs such as sewing, computer training, business management, awareness on environmental degradation etc. to build capacity and increase women’s empowerment which will in turn bring benefits to the entire community.

After receiving sewing training 20 women and adolescent girls are working on block print, cutting and sewing. They are now selling their products in the local market thus improving their economic condition day by day. ESDO-SAMHATI provided a sewing machine to Tulen, a poor adolescent girl trapped in a cycle of poverty. With the training provided by ESDO,Tulen has now begun her own sewing business. As a result Tulen has become economically independent and is able to continue her education. She is now with BRAC (a large and prominent NGO) as a school teacher – she passed her SSC Examination.

Tulen feels a deep sense of appreciation for ESDO-SAMHATI after the organizations provided sewing machine, training and other capacity building activities such as business management which has significantly changed her life. She said that, “When the ESDO-SAMHATI team started their work in my village; I was too poor; I could not eat properly even once a day. At that time I could not continue my schools as my parents were not able to pay for my education cost. When the ESDO-SAMHATI team first started their adult literacy program, this generated great enthusiasm among the women. At the same time they started different training programs on sewing, computer literacy, and environmental awareness. Many women attended sewing training and most of them completed it successfully. After taking the training they started cutting, sewing, block printing, and selling their product in the local market. The women gradually changed their own condition.”

She also said, “As I was too poor ESDO-SAMHATI give me a sewing machine to help me become self-sufficient. I worked hard to try to change my condition. At day time I would go to school and after this continue my sewing work. My school cost, family living, as well as my whole family’s responsibility was kept on my little shoulder. Day by day I changed my condition and passed the SSC examination successfully. Now I am a teacher of a school and a self sufficient woman. I am very grateful to ESDO-SAMHATI that they gave me the chance to change my life and bring hope for my life.” She hopes that ESDO-SAMHATI will again start their work in her village and help others who are still deprived in society.