Pratima Rani (36) is a PPEPP-EU member from Gangachara Union in Gangachara Upazila of Rangpur District. She has speech and hearing impairments. Pratima has a six-year-old daughter, and her husband, Ajay Chandra, was unemployed. Unable to bear the neglect and humiliation from her husband’s family because of her disability, Pratima returned to her father’s house with her daughter. She now works as a maid to earn a living in her locality.
Because of her interest in goat rearing, in March 2024, she attended three days of training on goat husbandry organised by Gram Bikash Kendra (GBK), a partner organisation of the PPEPP-EU project. With a total daily allowance of BDT 5,600 received for training and support in implementing income-generating activities, Pratima bought a goat and built a slatted shelter. Six months later, the goat delivered two kids.
Subsequently, the PPEPP-EU project awarded her a grant of BDT 25,000, which she used to buy five more goats. The project provided her with regular guidance on building the slatted shelter and vaccinating the goats. In addition to goat-rearing, Pratima began cultivating vegetables using a three-tier technique, growing ginger in sacks, and planting other crops. Later, she bought a cow with the money she saved from selling goats and her earnings as a housemaid.
Currently, Pratima owns 14 goats (estimated value BDT 84,000), two cows (valued at BDT 1,45,000), eight ducks (around BDT 3,000), and crops on leased land (estimated value BDT 14,000). Her current savings amount to BDT 12,200, while her outstanding loan balance is BDT 19,040.
Pratima has been a member of the Agrajatra Disabled Persons Forum since becoming a PPEPP-EU member. With support from the project, she received a ‘Subarna Nagorik’ card (a government disability identity card) and gets a quarterly disability allowance from the Union Parishad. Additionally, the project helped her family access daily necessities at a reduced price by facilitating their inclusion in the TCB (Trading Corporation of Bangladesh) program.
Pratima shared, “PPEPP-EU’s guidance and support have helped me come this far in my life. Now, I want to make a large goat farm and continue my daughter’s education so she can be well-established in society.”
Now, Pratima has become a symbol of support and shelter for her elderly parents. Her family’s financial situation has improved, and their acceptance and status in the community have increased. Her success in becoming self-reliant through engaging in income-generating activities has motivated other persons with disabilities in the community to empower themselves.