Goltaz Begum is a self motivated entrepreneur who used to live in terrible poverty, unable to provide enough food for her family. Training from World Vision Bangladesh provided her with the tools she needed to fight against poverty. After Goltaz began her own garment business, she then paved the way for others to create a better livelihood.

Goltaz in front of her shop (www.worldvisionmicro.org)

In Laldiar Char of South Patenga, there is an eye-catching clothing store and tailoring shop by the roadside where several women and adolescent girls are working on decorating clothes and embroidery. The store is named “Shopner Chowa”, meaning – “the touch of a dream.” But the story of the life of Goltaz Begum is about much more than a dream coming true.

“My husband used to work in a steel mill. In the cyclone of 1991, he had a major injury in his leg; he lost his job” recalls Goltaz. That was the start of their rainy days.

“Even now as I see poor people, I am reminded of times when I was in their condition; and I still cry. Once we went without food for three days. I did not tell my father, for it would bring shame and insults on my husband. I had one child at that time. We used to boil leafy vegetables and have it with some salt added” she said.

“When my father would ask me if we had any food, I would tell him that we had already cooked. I told him so often, and some days he would doubt and put his hand into the furnace to check if it had been used that day,” says Goltaz. “I had but one saree (dress), and in the night I would put on my husband’s lungi. We lived in this condition for almost three years,” she added.

As World Vision extended various relief and support activities, Goltaz joined a development group facilitated by World Vision. “When I wanted to join a development group my husband told me: “You cannot save five taka in a month, how will you save twenty taka?” Goltaz says.

“Other women did not welcome her well initially, because she was illiterate,” said Mohammad Harun, 45, Goltaz’s husband. “But she was the first to master the skills from the trainings,” he added.

Goltaz took loan from the development group and bought a rickshaw for her husband. Later they bought more rickshaws that they rented out. Later Goltaz received sewing training from World Vision and a sewing machine, paid in part by World Vision. She also received trainings on Block, Boutique, Chumki (glitter), Kach chupi (one kind of ornamental design on clothes), in addition to handkerchief and machine embroidery. She also received trainings on food processing, pickling, and gardening.

Goltaz started her sewing business from her home in 2002, by buying cloth and making dresses. In the first month she made a profit of taka 800 (US $11.5). She used taka 500 from that profit to buy more cloth and in the following month earned taka 1,400. She continued to work from her home and eventually employed four workers. She was making a monthly profit of taka 10,000 (US $147) out of an investment of taka 3,000 to 4,000 (US $44-58).

Noticing her progress and enthusiasm, World Vision decided to build a shop for the “Shapla Women’s Development Group” in front of Goltaz’s house. The construction was completed by October 2006 at the expense of taka 270,000 (US $3,913). Now more people could see and come to know that a fashionable clothing and garments store existed in that area. In the first year at the shop, Goltaz worked with nine co-workers and saw a monthly profit around taka 15,000 (US $220).

“Only God knows where I would have been if World Vision did not provide me these trainings,” Goltaz speculated.

Now Goltaz owns three sewing machines, one embroidery machine and one over loop machine. With 12 girls and women working in her shop, more 14 working from their houses Goltaz sees a profit from taka 17,000 to 18,000 (US $246-260) each month. Around 800 women and men are engaged in garments ordered works through Goltaz’s contracts.

Goltaz works on contracts from buyers and also she makes dresses to sell from the shop. “The local people say that they prefer to buy from me rather than from the market”, says Goltaz.

“We bought a television and cable line connection so that we can watch the Indian TV serials and acquire ideas of various embroidery and other designs on dresses that the performers wear,” says Harun.

“I want to learn computerized sewing and embroidery machine operation and buy the machine if I can pay in installments. It will cost around taka 700,000,” said Goltaz. She continued, “I want to advertise on television. I told all my workers that we would work to increase our volume of work and profit till we expand so much that our shop will be shown on TV”.

Mahfuza Khatun, 28, is Goltaz’s second aunt. Her husband was a day laborer who died four years back. Since then it became too tough for her to make ends meet for her family with three daughters. “Previously our family was quite fluent financially. I saw Goltaz going through a very hard time,” Mahfuza says. “After my husband died, I started working with Goltaz. Now I pay for my family and my daughter’s schooling with my income from the sewing and embroidery works. Goltaz is not working by herself, but many other girls and women are being able to work with her,” she added.

Goltaz with her family (www.worldvisionmicro.org)

Those who work with Goltaz receive training free of cost. Her children are also learning the skill of sewing and embroidery besides going to school. A businessman who has fashionable clothing business abroad wanted to hire Belal, Goltaz’s eldest son, and take him to Dubai, for, the man said, this skill is highly valued there. But Goltaz wants her children to be the next generation possessors of her business legacy.

Goltaz and her husband Harun have three children,  Belal (17), Rima (14), and Helal (9). “I learned the skill of Kach Chumki and sewing from mother,” said Helal the youngest son.

Today, the income generation activities and interventions of World Vision have made livelihood more viable for thousands of women through one. The courage and enthusiasm of one woman to learn and take a step ahead is all that it started with.

“The ADP has been putting much effort to establish a business group with the women who got involved in skill training as women empowerment process. Till now, 260 women (members of Development Groups) are self-engaged in the mechanism of increasing income through Income Generating Activities,” stated Andrew Ritchil, Manager of Patenga ADP.

There is a business group jointly organized by 60 women. They now have two sales centers in the communities. They received training on needle works, sewing, block printing and karchupi (a special type of design on women’s wears). These women are now making garments products from their homes and selling them from the sales centers. The result of their works and businesses are very encouraging.

Andrew stated, “These women earn extra money for the families, which once cannot be even thought. Many men did not allow their wives to work for earning. The family environment is also changing now. These women are now being dignified.”