The Story of a Successful Man in Changing Fortune
In Previous/Past Situation
Satkhira district is located on the coast of the Bay of Bengal in the south of Bangladesh. In this district, various disasters have calmed the endangered people. Large cyclones like Sidar, Aila, Amphan swept over the district. The people living in these coastal areas are at high risk of all these major disasters. The hardworking people of this area are constantly working hard to make a living. Their lives depend on the daily work involved. Due to the lack of employment of some people, there is always a shortage in the family.
Baptist Aid-BBCF's Resilience to Reduce Risk (R-3) project has been implementing activities in 6 working areas of Satkhira district to solve these problems.
Hatbas village of 05 no.Tentulia Union in Tala upazila of Satkhira district was damaged at different times by various natural calamities. There is no limit to the suffering of low-income people. The sources of livelihood are wasted. As a result, people in the area have no idea about alternative income and are relying on the same profession. The people of the area are in debt in order to meet their daily needs.
Md. Ahad Ali Sardar. Father's name is Md. Nur Ali Sardar. A small businessman by profession. He lives in Hatbas village of Tentulia union of Tala upazila in a family of 6 members including father, mother, wife, 1 son and 1 daughter. In addition to the grocery store, he makes a living by raising chickens on his farm. Currently the whole family is dependent on him. But his wife helps him with his small business.He said there was a time when his family was very poor. He used to buy and sell a small grocery store on the side of the road. He got into more trouble by taking loans from various lenders. He could not make progress in his family as he had no idea about alternative income. He continues to look for any business alternative. Many well-known businessmen and established people in the area have not benefited from the advice.
Intervention
In this context, in 2019, the non-governmental organization Baptist Aid - BBCF's Resilience to Reduce Risk (R-3) project discussed with the CBDRC (Community based disaster resilience Centre) committee to provide income-generating training on 7 days poultry rearing to people at risk in the working area. The members of the CBDRC committee selected Ahad Ali as a participant for the training. Md. Ahad Ali participated in the 7 days training. He then became enthusiastic about raising chickens and sought some financial help from the officials of the R-3 project.
He later decided to provide cash support to improve the standard of living through small business as per the project activity plan. Then according to the decision of CBDRC committee, Md. Ahad Ali was given cash support of 3000 / - (three thousand Taka) for raising chickens. From this money he bought 100 pieces of golden chickens for 1300 / - (one thousand three hundred Taka) at the price of 13 taka per piece of chickens and with the rest of the money he started raising chickens by buying other items including food. Two months later he earned a total of 24,000 / - (twenty-four thousand taka). From this he became more enterprising for raising chickens. With this profit money and a business loan of BDT. 50,000 / - from the Karmosangsthan Bank, he started large scale poultry activities. During this time, he bought 1000 peace chickens and gradually changed his condition by buying the necessary food.
In his ongoing business, he was suddenly harmed by keeping chickens during the corona virus. Many chickens died when the chickens fell ill on the farm and the rest were sold at a low price. He lost a lot of money.
The R-3 project was later surveyed to provide financial support to people affected by the corona virus. In this survey, Md. Ahad Ali was again selected by the CBDRC committee to provide financial assistance of BDT. 5,000 / - (five thousand taka). Later, he got excited again and started raising chickens. At present, his farm has 1150 chickens out of 2000 chickens and has already sold 750 chickens. At present its market value is approximately 103000 / - (one lakh three thousand taka).
Impact
He said that it is the interest of the people and only a right entrepreneur can reach his goal. Reviewing his previous economic situation and circumstances, he is now a successful man. After hearing the story of his change of fortune, many unemployed youths of Hatbas village have engaged themselves in keeping this chicken. He thinks every business has profit and loss. So, in this bad time, you have to try to re-establish yourself without getting upset. Otherwise, it is not possible for the business to survive. He has changed his destiny through this gain and loss. In the future, he plans to raise fish in a more integrated manner.
Md. Ahad Ali Sardar thanked the Baptist Aid-BBCF's Resilience to Reduce Risk (R-3) project for giving him the opportunity to participate in the 7 days poultry and fisheries training. He further expressed his gratitude to the R-3 project and the concerned donor agencies for their financial support and for their re-initiation by providing financial assistance even after the Corona-era losses. He thinks that there is nothing impossible in human life if interest and morale are stable.