Biswajit Mondal from Shyamnagar, Satkhira

Tarulata Gayan, wife of Rabindranath Gayan is living at village Korchahati under Bhurulia union. They have four daughters and are all married. Rabindranath’s health condition is not good, so Tarulata is working hard for their livelihood.

She has only Der (1.5) Bigha (1bigha=33dcml) of land including dwelling house. She used to cultivate rice in her land comprising 2 bighas of leased land. She has got possession of two ponds in her own and leased land. It has opened a window for her livelihood. She is cultivating various vegetables on the bank of ponds round the year. Tarulata is cultivating Okra, taro (kachu), ginger, turmeric, red amaranth, spinach. On the other hand, she made Macha (bamboo frame to climb creepers) beside water and extended the macha over water and cultivating different creeper type vegetable plants such as bottle gourd, bean, pumpkin, cucumber, cucurbitaceous plant (Jhinga) wax gourd, malabar spinach (puishak) etc. Along with these vegetables she is cultivating different local fish in these ponds.

In this pandemic situation BARCIK has come forward to help low-income people considering food and improving grassroot people’s nutrition need. BARCIK has taken an initiative to support people like Tarulata; who are hardworking and have good knowledge in agriculture and are splendid in indigenous knowledge. The initiative is known as Shoto Bari/Pusti Bank, which will be a good source of grassroot people’s nutrition.  As continuous process of BARCIK work, it has selected Tarulata’s home as Shoto Bari/Pusti Bank. In August 2020 she got a water pump and fencing net from BARCIK as per her desire.

Tarulata said, “My husband is sick, he is paralysed; I am a 60-year-old woman struggling for life and livelihood.  I worked as day labour, domestic aid. After that I gave all my efforts to my vegetable garden. BARCIK’s support has given me a great relief from hardship. It is very easy to water garden by pump. Earlier I carried water from the ponds. The vegetable garden is a little bit far away from my house so, I was worried regarding entrance of cow, goat other animals in the garden. Sometimes they destroyed the plants and vegetables. Now I am free from this tension. The garden has been fenced with net. These facilities increase my vegetable production and make my life comfortable and financially benefited as well. Actually, BARCIK support has made my initiative dynamic.” She went on saying, “I have given all my efforts to develop Shoto Bari. I came to know the importance of conservation of seed through BARCIK, conserving different seeds; and sharing the seeds among neighbors.”

Last winter Tarulata had sold vegetable worth TK 15 thousand and seed for about TK 12 thousand. This year she has provided vegetables to 25 families and seed of bottle gourd, cucumber, pumpkin, bean to 15 families. She has also shared fishes with 8 families.

Tarulata is upholding our agriculture, tradition of sharing culture and trying to improve her own life and livelihood. We must encourage and recognize her initiatives for the betterment our rural life and livelihood.

Translated by Rumaisa Samad