At one point, Hasina and her husband, Azharul, couldn’t stop sinking deeper and deeper into debt. 

Hasina believed that the man in the household would earn for the family and the woman could only do housework. But Azharul worked at a garment factory, making so little that the family’s cost of living exceeded his income. He worked long days at the factory, sewing and stitching for a meagre wage. Food was sparse in their home. 

What if, instead of making clothes for a corporation in a factory, they could make and sell their own from home and keep the profits? 

When FH began partnering with the community of Char Borobila, several new opportunities popped up for Hasina, including a Savings and Loans Group where she could pool money with community members as well as borrow funds. 

Hasina and her sewing machine.

Eventually, their income grew and their debt decreased. Today, the family is thriving. 

Their new income provided them with time to better their home environment and start a kitchen garden where they grow vegetables that enrich their diet. The house is filled with nutritious food from their home garden and they have incorporated hygiene practices into their routines. 

Hasina's family is thriving because she got the support she needed to make the changes she wanted.

But perhaps the biggest change is in Hasina’s mindset. 

“My personal life has significantly transformed; my mentality has changed," she shares. "I used to think that men would earn money and women would only do the housework. However, FH has changed my perspective by organizing various training and lessons. I am very grateful! I was inspired to learn sewing training and also inspired my husband.”

Thanks to Hasina’s involvement in her savings group, she was able to borrow money to purchase a sewing machine. Hasina also received training from FH to become a professional seamstress. She began to design and tailor beautiful clothes. Azharul left his job at the factory to make sacks and bags to sell. 

Launch a family business