“Success comes to those who refuse to give up in the face of adversity,” says Sahida Begum, a testament to courage and determination. Once surrounded by financial darkness, Sahida has transformed her life into a beacon of self-reliance and inspiration.
The Struggle: A Battle for Survival
Sahida’s journey began with immense hardship in Dhaka, where her husband, Md. Ali Ahmed Biswas, worked as a low-salaried employee in a garment factory. Living in a rented house in Mirpur, the couple struggled to meet basic needs as their family grew. Driven by a desire for independence, they initially started making clothes with one machine in a space provided by Sahida’s father. However, limited space and rising costs eventually led them back to their ancestral village in Kadirdi to expand their horizons.
The Turning Point: Overcoming the Pandemic
Just as they were settling into their village life with two machines, the COVID-19 pandemic struck, bringing their business to a complete standstill. Faced with severe poverty and the risk of her children dropping out of school, Sahida discovered ADI. In 2021, she joined the Jaynagar Bepari-para Mohila Somity and secured her first loan of 30,000 BDT. This timely intervention allowed her to reinvest in her garment business during its most critical hour.
Present Success: A Thriving Multi-Sector Enterprise
Through strategic planning and subsequent loans from ADI, Sahida scaled her operations significantly. Today, she manages a robust garment factory equipped with four industrial machines and a working capital of 400,000 BDT, providing employment to three staff members alongside her husband. Her high-quality products have reached the prestigious Mirpur Benarasi Palli, with monthly sales ranging from 400,000 to 500,000 BDT, yielding a steady net profit of 50,000 to 60,000 BDT. Beyond garments, she has diversified into poultry farming, earning an additional 40,000 BDT every two months from a batch of 2,000 chickens. These combined successes have enabled Sahida to construct a permanent (pucca) house on 10 decimals of land and, most importantly, secure a bright educational future for all her children. Sahida Begum’s journey is a testament to what courage can achieve when backed by the right resources. She credits her survival during the pandemic to her own grit and ADI’s timely intervention, stating, “This success has given me the social dignity I always longed for.”