Eco-friendly handicraft venture creates 400 rural jobs

Before the Covid-19 pandemic, Sabekunnahar Mitu, a young woman from Faridpur, had vague notions, but no concrete plans of becoming an entrepreneur. An unlikely event made her curious about eco-friendly handicrafts, and she now not only makes a good profit from her venture but also employs around 400 people in her locality.

Mitu completed her Secondary School Certificate in 2015 and got married while preparing for her Higher Secondary School Certificate. She later enrolled in the Management Department at Government Rajendra College in Faridpur.

“I kept thinking about becoming an entrepreneur while studying at the college,” she said

One day, while visiting the Kolarhat area of Rajbari in late 2019, Mitu got caught in a sudden rainstorm and took shelter in a roadside shed, where handicraft workers were busy making different products.

“I became curious and started asking questions. That is where the dream began.”

After that visit, Mitu researched online and contacted BD Creation, a large handicraft exporter in Dashuria, Pabna. She visited the factory with her husband next year.

“At first, they did not let me enter, but later they allowed me to look around, although photography was restricted,” she said. The experience bloomed the idea of starting a business.

Encouraged by the experience, she sold her gold jewellery for Tk 2 lakh and received another Tk 1 lakh from her husband, Rezaul Karim, who works as a sub-assistant engineer at the Department of Public Health Engineering in Baliakandi, Rajbari.

With this money, she bought 12 used sewing machines from a business in Pabna that was about to close. She started her factory in a small, rented room near Basdi Bazar.

From the same business that sold her the sewing machines, she hired two operators from Pabna to train 10 local women.

Mitu’s business took off in 2020 and gradually expanded. Seven years later, the step into eco-friendly entrepreneurship has made her a strong example of women’s economic empowerment in the community.

GROWTH OF LAM CREATION

Mitu now runs two production units and has invested Tk 50 lakh in total so far.

A recent visit to the factory showed workers producing eco-friendly goods using jute, hogla leaves, water hyacinth and thatch.

The factory produces more than 50 items, including bags, mats, pet houses, file boxes, baskets, plant pots, bowls, laundry boxes, lunch boxes and tissue boxes. Prices range from Tk 50 to Tk 1,500 depending on design and quality.

“We produce goods worth Tk 30-35 lakh every month. After expenses, I earn around Tk 2-3 lakh,” Mitu said.

Production work is divided among teams responsible for stitching, finishing, quality checks and export preparation. Around 100 men and women work in the two units, while about 300 women from villages in Faridpur and Rajbari work from home as contractual artisans.

The initiative has significantly changed lives in the area.

“My father works as a day labourer. I couldn’t continue education beyond 10th grade,” said Safia Sultana, 21. She now earns Tk 6,500 to Tk 7,000 a month.

Mosammat Aklima Khatun, 24, a homemaker, said, “After household chores, I come here and earn. It’s a blessing for us.”

Rojina Begum from Rajbari earns Tk 3,500 to Tk 4,000 a month by working from home.

Factory manager Humayun Karim, 26, said he now earns Tk 12,000 a month after failing to find a job despite trying in many places.

The permanent workers employed at the two units are paid based on their work volume. Completing more work means more payment.

They also have the option to receive the payment on a weekly basis or a monthly basis.

Mitu’s husband, Rezaul Karim, recalled a tragic memory while talking about the business.

“We lost a newborn in 2021, which left her devastated. Working helped her return to normal life. We now have a six-year-old son. She manages everything herself, and I am very proud of her,” he said.

Lam Creation’s products are currently exported through larger companies like BD Creation.

“My biggest dream is to establish a direct export line and expand the business so that women here no longer have to depend on others,” she said.

BD Creation is one of the companies involved. Mahbub Alam, deputy general manager of BD Creation, said Lam Creation supplies products to them and maintains good quality standards. Golden Jute, a company based in Rajbari, also buys products wholesale from Mitu’s venture and exports them.

Md Mainul Hasan, promotion officer at Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) in Faridpur, said, “This initiative has created income opportunities for 400 people, making a significant contribution to the local economy. We are ready to support them with training if needed.”