Garment Training and Mothers Livelihood
The garment industry of Bangladesh has played an important role in economically enriching a large group of poor and vulnerable women. Today, approximately 80% of garment workers are women. So, having this source of income not only helps women to lead a better life but it also provides them with more confidence at home, a social sphere and higher self-esteem. The most important thing is, however, that they can survive and help save their families. The number of women from impoverished northern districts of Bangladesh joining the garments sector are much lower due to a lack of skills, awareness of opportunities, and risks of relocation.
The majority of the mothers at Sreepur Village are from this area and they have all suffered terribly before coming here. So, following the trend of the country’s job market for these types of women, we offer our mothers all kinds of training schemes among which the garment training is the most prevalent. After receiving training from The Sreepur Village, a considerable number of our mothers are now working at different garment factories. Below, is the story of one of our mothers who is currently receiving such training and who will soon be discharged from The Sreepur Village having the opportunity to earn a living working in a garment factory.
Thirty-year-old Minara Begum from Kurigram (a northern district of Bangladesh) struggled hard to feed her two children on only a small income. When she gave birth to her two children her husband, who was married four times, started to torture her and then he divorced her. Following this turmoil, Minara went to live with her parents who shared a house with many others which meant, it gradually became more difficult to live there. Three years ago, she was welcomed to The Sreepur Village and during her time here has been attending different training schemes of which she most enthusiastically joins the garment training. This training, offered by The Sreepur Village, will enable women like Minara to obtain a job in a garment factory and receive a steady income, thus empowering Bangladeshi women and improving their overall outlook on life.