From distress to hope

Beli Ara's (51) life had all hallmarks of tragedy. She had been acquainted with great grief from an early age -- from losing her mother, step mother's torture and an eventual forced, early marriage with an elderly man.

She fled her in-laws' house with her two children after being tortured by her sister-in-law and thought all hope was lost. Luckily, she survived that dark phase of her life and became a beacon of hope for all who knew her.

Hailing from Sujalpur union in Dinajpur's Birganj upazila, Beli received the Joyeeta award in recognition of her contribution to society in 2017.

She earned the trust of locals to an extent that they voted her to be a member of the union parishad. Her tenure ended in 2022.

"My days of poverty and starvation continued till 2012. It all started changing when I came into contact with a Brac programme in 2013, titled "Ultra Poor Graduation Programme", under which I was given ten lambs and ten hens. They trained me and provided weekly financial allowance so that I can continue taking care of the livestock," Beli told The Daily Star yesterday.

Beli said the lamb started to give birth after every six months. "I used to sell those in the local market and earned enough money to invest in my children's education and nutrition intake."

"I could only bounce back after being trained under the Brac programme. Otherwise, I would have lived a life ridden with poverty and torture. Now, I have three bighas of land, married off my daughter to an engineer and bought my son a vehicle," she added.

Beli said following her success in the locality, other women who were going through the same experiences turned up at her home seeking a solution to their poverty, family crises and financial problems.

"I helped them and earned their trust. Sometimes I came across difficulties in solving familial issues faced by women. The local authorities do not cooperate with these women. Hence, I was prompted to run in the election," she said.

Upoma Mahbub, senior manager of advocacy of the Ultra-Poor Graduation Programme told The Daily Star that Brac devised the model in 2002 titled "Ultra-Poor Graduation Programme" aimed at lifting those who are poorest among the poor out of poverty.

"Under the programme, Brac officials closely coordinate with the target audience and provide them with the required knowledge on income generation, savings and balanced investment in nutrition and education," said Upoma.

These success stories emerged in Brac's Hope Festival which kicked off at the Army Stadium in the capital yesterday. The festival has been organised to mark the 50 years of the organisation.

The festival has been a hub of collaboration, interaction and success stories as enthusiastic people turned to the ground from across the country with their stories.

The festival grounds were adorned with exhibitions, pavilions, stalls, and workshops with diverse cultural motifs depicting Brac's activities and ecosystem, along with a special play zone for children.