It is not difficult to fall into ultra poverty. An accident, disease, or untimely death, a failed marriage, or a bad business decision -- all of these situations can plunge someone into povertyA neighbour gave her a place to stay, and Shefali started working in other people’s houses. She was continually scrutinised and exploited for less pay. Her daughter was bullied, because she was considered to have no identity. “I reached a point where life held no attraction for me.” Needing to do something for her daughter, Shefali got involved in the graduation program. Shefali enjoyed horticulture, and hands-on training combined with her strong dedication enabled her to start a business. She started selling seeds and saplings, and leased 25 decimals of land to raise cattle. Her success has allowed her to lease another 12 decimals of land for rice cultivation. It is actually not difficult to fall into ultra poverty. An accident, disease, or untimely death, a failed marriage, or a bad business decision -- all of these situations can plunge someone into poverty. Once someone has been in poverty for a while, getting out of it is not always possible without support, as people lose hope. The graduation program is a global development at the last mile. It lifts the poorest of the poor from the cycle of extreme poverty through carefully-sequenced interventions. Access to land is one of the key indicators of achievement for participants. Shefali is now saving to lease more land, and is in a rush as she needs to get ready for a wedding. She adjusts her sari, picking up the gift that she purchased. As we leave her home, she smiles, “I was never invited to weddings before. I used to watch wedding ceremonies from a distance. Now I never go to an occasion empty-handed.” Poverty is an invisibility cloak that hides people from society, both physically and mentally. Beyond the statistics are people who are completely forgotten by society, who are misunderstood and often blamed for their circumstances. It is not only that people living in poverty lack current income, but they also lack assets with which to generate income. Land is a critical asset because it provides shelter, dignity, and a means of livelihood. The BRAC graduation program is the start to better livelihoods. The program has helped 1.77 million women in ultra poverty to realise their potential by equipping them with the tools they need to rise out of poverty from 2002 to date.Tania Tasnin is Deputy Manager, Targetting the Ultra poor Program, Global Advocacy.
Shefali belonged to a household where every child was seen as an earning member of the family. She dreamed of going to school, but instead was pushed into domestic work to bring extra income.
She met Ekramul at 15, and he promised her a better life. She fell in love with him, even though she was Hindu and he was Muslim. They knew that they would be abandoned by their families but they still decided to get secretly married.
They were completely cut off from everyone. A simple hello from a neighbour was unthinkable. Ekramul worked as a smallholder farmer and they had a daughter, but they soon struggled to make ends meet.
Ekramul spent less and less time at home, then left her to go back to his family and remarried.
“No one was there, neither my Allah nor my Bhagwan,” Shefali said. She tried to return to her village of Kolkond, with her seven-month baby, but was cast aside by her family.
Shefali fell into ultra poverty, the reality of 9% of Bangladesh.
