Rujina Soren, from Faridabad village in Betdighee Union, Phulbari Upazila, Dinajpur District, is married to Bishtu Mardi. Her mother is Monikka Chore. She has two children: an elder daughter studying in Class 10 and a son studying in Class 7.

In her husband’s family, they only possess two tin-roofed mud houses on 0.05 acres of land and no other assets. Due to poverty, Rujina Soren, along with her husband, works as a day laborer on other people’s land. However, this work is available for only 30 to 35 days a year, leaving her idle for the rest of the time without any alternative source of income. Her husband, Bishtu Mardi, often travels outside the village for day labor work at other times, and they live very difficult lives with the little he earns.

One day, at a BASIC organization courtyard meeting, she learned from Field Organizer Kishto Tudu that the BASIC organization offers various subject-based training programs to help women become self-reliant, including computer training, tailoring, goat rearing, duck/chicken farming, cattle rearing, vegetable cultivation in the home yard, and mushroom cultivation. Furthermore, if advanced training is required, they facilitate contact with the Directorate of Youth Development for three-month-long subject-based training opportunities.

Hearing all this, Rujina Soren said, “Dada (Brother/Sir), how will I educate my children? We are poor people; we can’t even arrange food for ourselves. If you give me the opportunity for tailoring training, I could sew clothes at home, and with that income, I could educate my children. I don’t want my children to remain illiterate. But I don’t know how this dream will be fulfilled.”

She added, “At my father’s house, I closely watched a woman who ran her family by sewing clothes and educating her children. Since then, I have dreamed of learning the craft of sewing. But where will I learn, who will teach me, and where will I get the money? I can’t even provide daily food for my children in my poor family.”

Hearing her story, Kishto Tudu said, “I will inform the Executive Director about your situation. He is trying to select 10 such enthusiastic women who will receive three months of tailoring training free of cost and will also receive a free sewing machine upon completion of the training. They will use this sewing machine in the future to change their lives, increase their family’s income, and establish a unique example of social change.”

Rujina Soren was selected for the sewing training program. Hearing the news, her husband said, “My Rujina will now be a tailor!”

After Rujina Soren completed the training from the BASIC organization and received the free sewing machine with the support of the Bangladesh NGO Foundation, she was able to change her family’s financial situation. She is now able to afford the expenses for her children’s education with her own earnings.