Manira Begum has become a life-sustaining self-reliant woman by rearing sheep after struggling for survival in Gannarpar Char village on the Teesta riverbed in Gangachara upazila of Rangpur.
Homeless along with her farm-labourer husband Ala Mian and two daughters had to lead a miserable life due to extreme poverty even a decade ago.
Sufferings of Manira knew no bounds as she lived in a thatched hut on the land of others in the remote char village.
The couple was working as farm-labourers. They could not earn enough to feed their daughters for lack of regular works, especially during seasonal lean periods.
In the meantime, a non-government development organisation came forward, bought three sheep and handed them over to Manira nine years back showing her a new ray of hope in life.
“I started to dream anew after getting three sheep harnessing my relentless determination,” Manira told BSS while returning home with her sheep herds after grazing them on nearby char lands.
Manira expressed her keen desire to bring up her two daughters as educated citizens. “I started taking extensive care of my sheep. And thus, the days and months passed away on the brink of a year,” Manira said.
After six months, each of the three sheep gave birth to three to four cubs. Within another six months, those gave birth to three to four more cubs as the process continued for nine years by this time totally changing Manira’s life.
“The number of my sheep continued to rise every year. I started meeting all expenses of family by selling sheep,” she said.
By this time, Manira sold 70 sheep at rates between taka 2,500 and Taka 6,000 for each. She has built a better house.
“I have 20 sheep now. My elder daughter Amena Begum already appeared in the degree final examinations. Younger daughter Moni is studying at the intermediate level,” she said.
Manira grazes the flock of twenty sheep daily on char areas from morning to afternoon when she moves in the front and her sheep herds follow her in the back row. “I feel bad when I sell some of them in need or their number becomes higher to accommodate at home,” she said.
Manira said she faces little troubles during floods to keep her sheep on her homesteads in addition to manage fodder that time.
Talking to BSS, Gangachara Upazila Livestock Officer Agriculturist Nurul Aziz Babu said sheep generally start breeding from the age of 10 months to one year.
“Sheep generally become pregnant twice a year after every six months and give birth to up to four cubs every time,” he said, adding that the average mortality rate for sheep cubs is lower than five percent.
There are 35 small and large char villages and areas with huge grasses on the Teesta riverbed in Gangachara upazila. Currently, there are some 8,000 sheep in Gangachara upazila alone, Aziz added.
Rangpur District Livestock Officer Shahjalal Khandker said many people have become self-reliant through rearing sheep in Rangpur in last eleven years.
Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute and Jute Research Institute are jointly producing various quality products with international standard using sheep wool and jute fibre.
“Sheep in Bangladesh is mainly reared for meat production. In Chapainawabganj, thick blankets are made with sheep wool,” he said, adding that the annual growth rate of sheep has increased to 13 percent now.
There are 470 sheep rearing farms in the district now and the number of sheep stands at about 1.47 lakh against only 86,000 five years back.