Sincerity, hard work and confidence brought success for the woman at Kaliganj upazila in Jhendiah who had fed her hungry children begging rice from neighbors’ house during the midnight.
It still hunts her, while she earns about Taka 20 thousand a month, said Fatema Khatun, daughter of Sayed Ali and Rushia Begum who has been living on government khas land near an irrigation canal titled Shirish Khal of Balakandar village under Kaliganj upazila in Jhenidah.
Talking to the the Bangladesh Post, hardworking Fatema Khatun said she married at the age of 11 years, while the husband died within 10 years fighting against diseases. She left the house and took shelter at parents house when her mother in law and other members started torturing the innocent housewife.
She got married for the second time where the drug addict husband was torturing her mercilessly. Thinking the future of the lone child she continued there and started farming the vermin-compost in an earthen pot in 2005. Fatema said now she owns 350 earthen pots to produce vermin-compost and selling the same in the locality and other areas of the upazila for an amount of Taka 20 thousand a month. She has been also working in about 10 bighas of leasing lands with the help of her husband Ashraful Islam. She has been applying the earthworms in organic method.
About application of organic matter in the soil, the vermin-compost icon said it is now only the main organic manure which develops soil quality and helps the nature, while the chemical farming degrades the soil and harmful to environment.
As she does not have enough land at her home, she uses the home premises of her neighbors for compost production. Fatema had purchased five decimals of land to construct a house for the family members. She is proud of producing organic manure and crop both, she added.
Ward member of local union parishad Abdul Aziz said Fatema was the role model for the women in our society who fought against acute poverty and torture. Above all she was able to establish her as a confident woman and earning a lot for the family members.
Upazila agriculture officer Jahidul Karim when contacted said Fatema Khatun should be recognized for her hard work and success as a woman entrepreneur in the district as she has been contributing in organic agriculture and swept away poverty from her family.
