Against all odds, 30-year-old Lovely Aktar is setting an example by becoming self-reliant through agriculture.
In April this year, with support from the local Department of Agriculture Extension, Lovely went to China to receive training on the use of Super Hybrid Rice production technology. The China National Hybrid Rice Research and Development Center (CNHRRDC) and the Hunan Hybrid Rice Research Center (HHRRC) hold the training programme at Mapoling in China’s Farong dsitirct.
“Initially my journey was not smooth,” Lovely recalled.
Twelve years ago, when her husband left with her dowry after just six months of marriage, Lovely was devastated. She and her father were living a life of extreme poverty in a bamboo made shanty.
Yet the 18-year-old Lovely did not lose hope. She took out a loan from some intermediaries and mortgaged two bighas of land from her neighbour. With dedication and hard work, Lovely began farming paddy. Gradually she mortgaged more land and, with the help of AED, achieved remarkable success in paddy cultivation.
During the last Boro season, she produced over 400 maunds of paddy on 18 bighas of land. This Aman season, she is expecting to produce 300 maunds on 20 bighas of land.
“I’m financially solvent now. I make a comfortable living and I have reconstructed my father’s old shanty into a tin-shed building.” Deputy Director of AED Narsingdi Muksed Ali appreciated Lovely for showing that poverty could be alleviated by self-endeavor.
“In order to live with dignity we have to be self-reliant and curb our dependency on others,” said Lovely.
She urged the government to extend the availability of low-interest loans, so all poor women can have the opportunity become self-reliant.
