Micro-finance helps women to become self-earners

from the New Nation

Md. Mahbubur Rahman Bulbul

Huge number of MFIs are operating micro finance program in Bangladesh and World-wide with their good activities. Their prime focus is, to positive change of poor and help-less people in Bangladesh by their financial assistance and to make a poverty-free Bangladesh. ASA is one of them. ASA is the biggest MFI in the world.

ASA is working their responsible job by the micro finance program with land-less poor people for their positive change in Bangladesh from 1992, as usual. AS a result in that time, ASA already has achieved a great success in MFI sector of Bangladesh, even all over the world. Now the total number of ASA's borrowers is 90 lacks.

It is high performance in Bangladesh. Not only micro credit, ASA is doing their job for the development in small business and industrial area of Bangladesh with their Small Entrepreneur Lending (SEL) loan, Small business loan and agro-business development loan program. In this area, ASA already has been great successful.

Total number of ASA's SEL loan members is 30114. This report is up to February, 2008. Most of the borrowers of this program are women. They are heist benefited from ASA's SEL loan program. There is a huge number of successful case stories in Bangladesh those are 100% self-sustainable by the assistance of ASA's microfinance program. Here, a successful case story has been showed as for example:

Mrs. Josna begum is a self-sustainable woman in Bangladesh who is ASA's SEL loan borrower. She is 28 years old. Her husband's name is Mr. Nasir Hossain. She is a great mother for one daughter.

She married to Mr. Nashir Uddin before 7 years. The year is 2000. Now, she is a rich and successful woman entrepreneur in Bangladesh by the assistance of ASA's SEL loan program. She is owner of a mini-garment in Sonargaon area. She is a representative of all self-sustainable women micro entrepreneurs in Bangladesh.

But her previous status was very poor. They have been living in the village of darigaon of shamvupura union under sanergaon Thana of Narayanganj District for permanently. She is a hard worker and high ambitious woman. So, she did not stay at her husband's house without work at a moment.

Her husband's business was very poor. Because, there was no sufficient financial support at her business purpose. For getting financial support, at first Josna Begum became admitted as a group member in 'Diganto landless woman shamiti' under ASA's hussainpur Branch of Naraynganj District in the year of 2002.

At first installment, she got 10,000 TK. as micro loan from Diganto shamiti of ASA. She financed all money in their garments area. That was the turning point in their business. She was paying her weekly installment very nicely at just time after their all profit. The condition of their business increased day by day.

At last, she received 26,000 TK. from diganto shamiti as a micro loan by the 5th time in the year of 2006. Branch Manager of hussainpur Branch Niger shultana highly pleased for the develop of their business. She took plan for the big financial support in their business area under SEL loan program of ASA.

For this purpose, Branch Manager proposed her superior authority regional manager of sonargaon area Md. Waliar Rahman and wanted all cooperation for giving 50,000 TK. under SEL loan program. Regional Manager Mr. Waliar Rahman visited their business area and finally, he gave instruction her to disburse 50,000 TK. in the mini-garment of josna Begum. At 1st installment under SEL loan program, Josna Begum gets 50,000 TK. as usual.

With the part of her profit from their business she invested 50,000 taka for the building-up a mini-garments at her home area. There are number of 15 machines in their garments. The name of machines are log, over log, pele etc. There are number of 20 male/female workers always involved in their garments. The salary range of all workers 1200 TK. per week. Baby set, Ganji, T-shirt, magi half Ganji, pant etc, have been making in their garments.

Her husband Nasir supplied all garment products at his hole sale center of piar ali market of Naraynganj district Sadar. Not only that area, he supplied their products at Dhaka Shadarghat market, New market, kaliganj Bajar and others commercial area.

Their monthly net profit without all cost from that business is 20,000TK. to 25,000 TK. At last, Josna Begum Received 70,000 TK. from ASA, Hossainpur Branch under SEL loan program. Her dream, She will build-up a big garments industry within very soon by the financial support from ASA.

Now it is very important that her mother-in-law shaharbanu is previous member of ASA. The inspiration of her mother-in-law, she had been interested to involve in ASA's loan program. Now Josna Begum is a self-sustainable woman and she represents the all successful women entrepreneurs in Bangladesh. She is a great story.

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