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'All my life I have lived with poverty and scarcity. I got no education for the reason that my father could not afford it. Due to strain of poverty, my father settled my marriage early with Ishwar Chandra Das. My newly married life began with a typically poor financial condition of my husband. He had no source of earnings even to live from hand to mouth. During those days I used to go frequently without food. Now those days are tales to me,' said Pachil Dashi of Bangshipur under Shyamnagar in Satkhira.
Pachil Dashi, a mother of four boys and one girl, has changed her lot after joining a ASA group of 30 poor women. 'Woes and pains cannot move me any more. All the sweaty explorations return me joy and happiness,' she added.
One fine day Omola, a worker of ASA which is a non-government organisation (NGO), came to her and introduced the NGO to her. She asked her to join the ASA group so that she could get a source of income. Pachil's husband, who runs a leather business, also gave his conscent in this regard. So she went to the ASA office and talked to other workers. Hearing from them she joined the Samity, called Surjomukhi, comprising 30 poor women.
Not only that. Being organised in a group they grew the habit of depositing savings every week and thus acquired the habit of regular savings. The women have become aware of their rights and got back their honour in their respective families.
In the weekly group discussion they always tried to find out how to increase the family income. To increase the income, money is required and to fulfill this requirement savings are essential. After three months of regular weekly savings and regular participation in the weekly group meeting many landless and distressed women like Pachil got credit from ASA to run small businesses.
Pachil started making baskets and things out of bamboo with the credit that ASA offered. Now she had a shop full of bamboo-made things. In addition, her husband earned a handsome amount from his leather business. Now she had a decent house and sufficient food for all her children. They started to go to school. Her daughter was married off a few weeks ago. As a result, most of the money she saved for buying land was spent for the marriage ceremony.
'I was fortunate Omola introduced me to ASA. Now, all the problems are being solved through teamwork. The practice of divorce, dowry, minor-age marriage, polygamy, etc. has been stopped with women's empowerment. I became able to settle marriage of my only daughter without dowry only because I was involved in the group,' she informed.
With her savings now she wants to build a good house and buy land for growing crops.
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