DHAKA, Jan 10, 2025 (BSS) - Overcoming the hardship in life through struggles, three women of Dhanbariupazila in Tangail have established themselves as successful. They are - Moyna Begum, Jamila Begum and Morsheda Begum.
 
Of them , Moyna Begum is a ‘Joyeeta’ award winner. She lives at Kishamat village in Dhanbari municipality with her husband Bablu Mia and son Fazar Ali.
 
As the eldest daughter in her family, Moyna witnessed her mother endure immense hardship and suffering. At the age of 12, her father married her off to Bablu Mia of the same area. Bablu Mia had no stable source of income. Moyna Begum had to live a life of deprivation and hunger at her in-laws' house. In that situation, she gave birth to a baby girl. Following the birth of her daughter, the abuse by her mother-in-law and sister-in-law intensified.
 
One day, during a visit to her parents' house, Moyna attended a women workers’ meeting organized by NijeraKori. In the meeting, after hearing Moyna's story of hardship, other women advised her not to give up and to stand on her own feet. Following this advice, Moyna joined a cooperative group by saving some money and borrowing an additional amount of Tk 1,000 from her mother. With a total of Tk 2,500, like other women, she started the business of clothes.

She began selling clothes door-to-door in the villages. However, due to the lack of prior experience, Moyna could not sustain in the business for long. Left with no other options, she took a 10-day training from the Livestock Office in Madhupur Upazila and began poultry vaccination. After two years, she took a Tk 1,500 loan from Grameen Bank and utilized the amount she saved from the earning from poultry vaccination to set up a small variety store at the corner of her in-laws' house.  
 
Over time, the small shop gradually turned into a larger one. Today, with the income from the shop, Moyna has purchased 4 decimals of land in the municipal area and built a permanent house. She now lives happily with her husband, one daughter and one son. Her daughter has completed her education and is now married. Moyna Begum's journey with resilience and determination has inspired other women in the area to start shops of their own and successfully manage their households.
 
Like Moyna Begum, another self-reliant woman Jamila Begum, a housewife from Koyra village and wife of Anwar Hossain, has been working to uplift women in society by overcoming the challenges of poverty. Despite her strong desire to study, Jamila could not continue her education because of poverty. She was married off at the age of 13, shortly after completing her primary education.
 
 Although she couldn't do continue studies, Jamila received training in group activities and various aspects of women's development through the NijeraKori Landless Association. She has played a vital role in addressing issues like child marriage and providing support for the treatment of the poor and helpless in her community. In 2012, she contested in election and won a reserved seat for women in the local union parishad. After years of battling poverty, Jamila is now leading a happy life with her husband, one daughter and three sons.
 
Meanwhile, Freedom Fighter Mokhsed Ali’s daughter Morsheda Begum from Chatutia village in the municipal area grew up in a poor family. Her father, a teacher, the sole bread earner of the family, struggled to maintain the family with his modest salary.
 
After passing her SSC exams, Morsheda was married to Sohel Rana from Pathalia village in Jadunathpur Union. Despite her marriage, she continued her studies and eventually succeeded in securing a job as a primary school teacher through recruitment examinations.
 
 Currently, Morsheda is actively supporting the education of underprivileged children in her community. She has also purchased a piece of land in the Dhanbari municipal area. Now, she lives a happy life with her husband and only son. Being inspired, girls and women in the area are following her to become independent and self-reliant.