Candle Making by A Mother of The Sreepur Village

Earlier in 2017, The Sreepur Village began a ‘Candle Making’ training programme for the mothers, to help empower them as entrepreneurs. A small business idea, such as this, helps the mothers to support their families as they can make candles in their free time and earn an additional income, a driving force that never existed before.

A few weeks ago, our Fundraiser Manager Emma (UK based) made a visit to The Sreepur Village. She was very enthusiastic to see how the candle making training was developing. So, one Friday morning, we went to Rubina’s house, a mother who left The Sreepur Village last year after completing her three-year stay with us. She joined us in 2014 with her two sons and daughter.

Rubina says, “In a word, I was helpless before going to The Sreepur Village but after leaving there, and with the continued financial support of the village, I built my own house and started to rear livestock. Actually; I bought a bull which takes some time to earn money.

However, there was no option to stay lazy. Thanks to The Sreepur Village, I was able to get trained in candle making and marketing. According to my reintegration plan, they give me a candle making machine as one of my livelihood tools. It was only a few days, after coming home, that I started to make my own candles and sell them in the local market. In Bangladesh, people use candles if they don’t have any electricity – which accounts for hundreds and hundreds of families. Also, a-great-number of people light candles in the religious place in the evening and these are my customers.  Among the different training programmes offered at The Sreepur Village, candle making, for me, was an additional skill and it was only at the last minute that I decided to take it as a basic earning source. I am glad I did as now, during the night and at any given free moment, I make candles and wander into different stores and sell them. It has allowed me to earn a livelihood for my children so, Thank you Sreepur Village.’’ 

Last year, and thanks to the support of our donors, The Sreepur Village trained 14 mothers and gave candle making machines to nine mothers as a livelihood tool. Now, we are providing training to seven mothers and with continued support and donations this number will only get higher.