Thirty seven year old Nuresha Begum was born in the village Bairagipara of Paba upazila of Rajshahi district. She lived in a family of 4 members. Of them, only two were earning numbers. She read up to class X. Farming was the only means of earning of the family.

The family used to cultivate rice, potato and other crops but none of them had formal training on the production of the crops. Because of her educational background, Nuresha received training on the production technology of crops and took loan of Tk. 10,000/- from Nawhata branch of Padakhep, Rajshahi in 2007. After receiving training, she took second, third, fourth and fifth term loan of Tk. 29,000/-, 40,000/-, 80,000/-, and 200,000/- from Padakhep. She then purchased a tractor and a pick-up van using the loan. The tractor was used to prepare lands for growing rice, potato and several other crops in the family lands and lands leased from neighbours. She also started using the pick-up van to carry her produces to different markets that ensured her fair price to the commodities. Besides, she helped her neighbours to market their produces at fair price through her pick-up van.

Nuresha has a total number of 10 employees. Of them, 3 are female and 7 are male. She has an ambitious plan to establish an integrated farm comprising crops, livestock (poultry, cattle, etc.) and fisheries to earn more income and employ more people in her farming enterprise.
Nuresha expressed her gratitude to Padakhep for the loan that enabled her to receive training on crop production technology and finally earn better income from crop farming.

35-year old Rupia Begum, mother of a son and daughter, lives in the village Vutka of Gangachara upazila of Rajshahi district. Her husband Lalmia is a farmer. The family was in a vulnerable situation due to extreme poverty. Rupia was continuously thinking of finding a way to help her husband so that the family could survive. Rupia and her husband tried their best to find out an alternative source of income but failed.
One day, Rupia came to know about Padakhep, an NGO which provides different types of IGA training and loan to the ultra-poor women of Gangachara upazila. Rupia and her husband went to the Gangachara branch of Padakhep to know the details. Finally, she became a member of the Lili Mohila Samity under Padakhep in 2009. She started attending the samity meetings regularly and deposited savings as per rules and regulations of Padakhep. Initially, she took a loan of Tk.4000/- in 2009 under the PRIME project of Padakhep. She purchased a goat using the loan money.

She repaid the first term loan by selling goat's milk. After a year, she took second loan
of Tk. 6000/-and bought another goat. At the same time, Rupia received training on cow fattening. After receiving the training, she took 3rd loan of Tk. 10,000/-in 2011 and purchased a cow. The IGA Implementation Officer adviced her to give de-worm tablets first and vitamin powder, raw grass and urea molases regularly to her cow. She followed the advice properly and got very good result. The cow became healthy. After four months, Rupia sold the cow at better price and her net profit was Tk. 8000/-. In 2012, Rupia took 4th loan of Tk. 15,000/-and invested it in cow fattening. She invested Tk.35,000/- in her cow fattening business. Now she is rearing 2 cows, 7 goats and a number of ducks and hens from which she earned extra income. She bought 25 decimal cultivable lands from the income earned through selling cows and goats. She also built a tin shade house and bought a khat (bed) including chowki and alna. Her daughter is studying in Class VII and son in Class I in a local school. At present, her savings in Padakhep is Tk.3022/-.
Now Rupia is a well known entrepreneur in her locality. Socially she has received recognition and honour. Her neighbours are encouraged to follow her footsteps to alleviate their poverty. Rupia and her husband now take decisions together and respect each others opinion. She has an intention to expand her cow fattening business and has a dream to establish a small dairy farm in future.
Struggle and determination brings happiness and changes in one's life. Rupia is a unique example of this. She claims, 'Microcredit of Padakhep has taught me how to live with dignity.' Rupia expressed her satisfaction and gratitude for the service of Padakhep that made her life prosperous and dignified.

32-year old Amir Hossain was born in Noyapara village of PS Faridpur under Chandpur district. Amir Hossain is the fourth of his 3 brothers and 2 sisters in the family. The family was well managed by the earning of his father and mother. But when his brothers and sisters were capable of earning their own living, they got separated from the family. When his father became old and was incapable of working, Amir Hossain continued his study staying with his elder brother at Sunamgonj. Later on, he discontinued his study and started a small nursery with the financial assistance of his elder brother.

In the initial period of his business, Amir Hossain used to produce seeds of some selected plants, buy seedlings from other nurseries and sell these in local markets. With earning from that small nursery, he could manage his livelihood well. He got married when he was 25 years old. When the family burden increased, Amir Hossain expanded his nursery business by taking loan of Tk. 25000/- from Jagannathpur branch of Sunamganj,

Padakhep with the help of his friend Reaz Ahmed. When his business turned out to be very successful, he was given second installment of loan of Tk. 29000/-. With further success, he took another turn of loan of Tk 50,000/-.

He named his nursery 'Sagor nursery' where 3 assistants are now working. Now he earns Tk 50,000 per month and has an investment of Tk 500,000. To earn more from plantation, Amir Hossain attended several training courses on nursery management.

Though in the beginning of his business, Amir Hossain had the illusion that the nursery business would not be profitable because only rich people have demand for nursery plants. But with the business rolling, he felt that the demand for nursery plants were all over the community and with the help of modest finance and diligence it can be turned to be a successful enterprise.

Ful Kumar Chakma, s/o Ananda Kumar Chakma is a 52-year old hard working farmer from Chakma Palli of Rangamati Sadar upazila of Rangamati district. He has a family of 5 members husband, wife and 3 children. The 1st son, Gulmani, 28 helps his father in farming. The 2nd son, Rupayan, 18 has already passed the HSC. The third one is a daughter, Laxmi Sona, 16 and a student of final year HSC. They own a small hill. The whole family lives in a small tin-shed house with bamboo-fencing around, located on the top of the hill.
His annual income and expenditure from farming are almost balanced. Though most of the chakma families do not have the habit of savings, Ful Kumar tries to save about Tk. 10-20 thousand a year out of his total annual income of Tk. one lac from hill farming including mango orchard.
Ful Kumar Chakma has established, on the hill slope, a small orchard of about 100 Amrapali mango plants. He told that his mango plants flowered profusely but fruiting was negligible due to attacks of hoppers and borers.

Mrs. Motri Chakma, Executive Director of the Partner NGO, Development Concern (Ramghar, Rangamati) came to know about his problem. Ful Kumar was selected and facilitated by the NGO partner to adopt the technology, ‘Mango Hoppers and Borer Control’ in his small mango orchard. He followed the ATTP guidelines and the NGO partners instructions in replicating the technology during the 1st cycle of implementation of ATTP. He sprayed the recommended pesticides with appropriate dozes 2 times, one full coverage spraying just before flowering started and the 2nd one after the marbel-sized fruits formed. The technology demonstration performance was rated excellent during 1st cycle of flowering and fruiting in 2010 under close supervision of both ATTP and NGO personnel.

After application of the technology in 2010 season, all his 100 mango plants in the orchard produced 4500 fruits whose total weight was about 1,000 kg. But the year before application of the technology, all his 100 mango plants produced 505 mangoes only whose weight was only 95 kg. The results demonstrated about 9 times increase in fruiting and 10.50 times increase in mango production due to application of the technology. The net profit earned, after deducting cost of production was about Tk. 20,000/-. He sold Amropali mango@ Tk. 29 per kg in the local market.

Ful Kumar Chakma was very happy to see his mango orchard flowering and fruiting. The profit of Tk. 20,000 out of sales of 1,000 kg mango after consumption by the family members brought smile and happiness as he earned almost nothing from the orchard before application of the technology. The NGO partner did not support Chakma in 2011. But he replicated the technology at his own initiative. He bought a sprayer at Tk.22,000 and his son sprayed the mango orchard in time. Though most of the mango orchard in the hill areas did not fruit heavily this season (2011) due to continuous drought prevailed before flowering but most of the mango plants in his orchard produced fruits that season. Such fruiting encouraged Chakma to request all his neighbours around to apply the technology together so as to cover greater areas and get full impact of the technology.

Struggle and determination brings happiness and changes in one's life. Roksana Begum is a unique example of this. As a role model of how to fight out poverty, Roksana won the "Best Woman Micro Entrepreneur of the Year 2013" award from CITI Group.
Roksana Begum, mother of a son and two daughters, lived in the village Nishinda of Valuka upazila of Mymensingh district along with her husband Mozibor. The family had to spend the days in trouble due to extreme poverty. Finding no other alternatives, she joined a garment factory as a worker.But due to poor salary and unhealthy environment, it was difficult for her to continue the job. Finally, after few months, she left the job. Roksana and her husband was continuously thinking of finding a way so that the family could survive. One day she came to know about Padakhep and its activities,especially microcredit program. She consulted with her husband and became member of Jonaki Mohila Samity under Valuka branch of Padakhep in 2004. She started attending the samity meetings and continued to deposit her savings regularly. She took a loan of

Tk.4,000/- in 1st and Tk. 8,000/- in 2nd installments. As she had experience in garments, she started tailoring in her house. In the next two years, she increased her savings instead of taking any loan. Padakhep recognized Roksana for her honesty and increased the amount of loan. In 2010, she took a loan of Tk.50,000/-. She started hotel business using the loan money and her own savings. With the hope of more profit, Roksana took a loan of Tk. 1,00000/-in 2011. She added Tk.1,50,000/-from her own savings with the loan money and started a paper cone (used in garments) factory. She did not stop there. After successful repayment of the loan, she again took a loan of Tk. 1,50,000/-in 2012 and Tk. 2,00000/- in 2013 with a view to expanding her business. She along with her husband and children worked hard for the factory. Finally, luck favoured and her dream came true. Good quality of the product and its huge demand in local markets gradually made the business more profitable. Last year her net profit was Tk.12,00000/-. She is now financially self-sufficient and can manage daily needs of her family quite well. Once Roksana and her family used to live in an earthen house but now they live in a building. She also rent out two houses for additional income. Now she has the asset worth two crore taka. Her elder daughter passed HSC in 2014 and the younger two are also going to school regularly. She hopes for their bright future. Roksana also created employment opportunity for some poor people of the locality. 35-40 people are now employed in her factory.

"I never ever had dreamt of having an award like this one"- thus spoke Rabeya Khatoon of village Uttargaon of Kaliganj Upazila in Gazipur with the 'Best Small Entrepreneur of the year Award' in her hand and vented her feelings of gratitude. Rabeya was, of course, not supposed to think of winning an award. But it was like a dream come true. There was a time when Rabeya could not have two square meals a day; but now she has 25 employees working under her. As a role model of how to fight out poverty Rabeya Khatoon today won the 'Best Small Entrepreneur of the year Award 2005'

The year 2005 has been declared as the micro-credit year. On this occasion the CITI Group Foundation, a human welfare- oriented organization of the apex financial institution of the world the CITI group and the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) jointly organized a function to distribute the world small entrepreneurs awards for out standing services in this field. The awards were given in four sectors like Best

Micro- Finance Institution of the Year, Most Innovative Business of the Year, Best Woman Micro Entrepreneur of the Year and the Best Micro Entrepreneur of the Year, On November 21, 2005 Finance and Planning Minister M. Saifur Rahman gave away the 'Best Small Entrepreneur of the Year Award to Rabeya Khatoon among other prize winners at a function held at Hotel Sheraton participated by an elite group of people. It may be recalled that Rabeya Khatoon is a recipient of the micro-credit from the Padakhep.

The story of the struggle for existence this brave lady of Gazipur waged, as though, supersedes even imagination. But the dame luck did not pat Rabeya on the back for this prosperity she achieved it by virtue of hard work, keen foresight and creative faculty she could rise from the rags to change her lot. Besides, the Padakhep, a non governmental organization came to the aid of Rabeya extending her loan that acted as a tremendous fillip to her relentless endeavor.

Rabeya hails from a remote sleeping hamlet of Uttargaon of Kaliganj Upazila in Gazipur district. Poor, illiterate and a housewife Rabeya with her four daughters tried somehow to keep body and soul together with the very scanty income of her husbands. Her husband is an indigent weaver. The income from the weaving business was too meager to meet the expenditure of the family and not enough to keep the wolf from the door. Smitten by woes, worries, cares and anxiety for food, clothing and the bleak future of her kids Rabeya faced a boundless uncertainty and frantically tried to find a permanent way out of the conundrum.

While she was passing her days in such a distressing condition Rabeya learnt that the regular meeting of the Provati Mohila Samity of the Padakhep Manabik Unnayan Kendra is held on every tuesday at the house of her next door neighbor Rakina. On learning about the Programme of the samity she evinced a keen interest to enlist herself as a member of the society to change her lot. One day while the meeting was on Rabeya came to the venue of the meeting along with another member of the society Jyotsna Begum. When she expressed her desire to become a member, the then field officer in-charge Ripon Devnath collected information about her desire to become a member, source of income of her family, whether she was affiliated or involved with any other organization etc. Subsequently Rabeya was accepted as a number of the society (on4/1) on March 29, 2001. Through the society Rabeya acquired literacy and continued to deposit her savings. After four months elapsed this way Rabeya was granted a loan of taka four thousand on July 8, 2001. According to a plan chalked out earlier, Rabeya bought a wooden loom with the loan money and began to weave towels. Since then her luck began to favor her. Frugal and thrifty in her habit Rabeya kept on defraying the expenditures of her family and repaying the loan installments with the income of her husband and began to save a meager balance she had. After such a struggle for one year the indigent family of six saw a ray of hope at the end of the tunnel. Hopes also sprang in the mind of Rabeya's husband who extended his assistance to help run her business as smoothly was possible then on his part. This he did in the expectation of a swift change in their lot.

After the satisfactory repayment of the first phase loan, Rabeya applied for the second loan and on August11, 2002, she was again granted a loan of taka seven thousand. Rabeya added the balance of Tk. three thousand of the previous year to this new loan amount and with this Tk.10,000, she bought an improved quality machine loom. With proper management of business she could bring solvency in her family. But Rabeya did not stop there. With a view to materializing her strong desire to further expand her business through purchase of a big manually run weaving machine she took a loan of Tk. 25000 (twenty five thousand) under the 'Sristhi Karmasuchi' (creative programme) of Padakhep Micro enterprise on October 29, 2003.

The spouses by dint of hard labour gradually earned financial solvency in the family. Rabeya got her two little daughters admitted into a school and planned to buy a power run weaving machine. Rabeya reposed her total confidence in the Padakhep all through and she expected again the help of the Padakhep to successfully implement her plan. After the repayment of the third tranche of loan, a thorough scrutiny of her business position was done and Padakhep granted her a loan of Tk. 50,000 (Taka Fifty Thousand) again under "Srishti Rin" on September 29, 2004. Thus Rabeya saw her dream come true after a bitter struggle. Rabeya married her two big daughters in solvent families and she is defraying the educational expenses of her two little kids smoothly. Her family is now free from chill penury and poverty she experienced before. Her output has increased manifold due to power run weaving machine. Towels woven in her factory are being marketed in Dhaka and Chittagong. Rabeya created employment opportunity for some people also. 4 salaried employees and 21 workers on daily wage basis are now engaged in her factory.

Rabeya is the shinning example of a bright success. She has amply proved that it is not that difficult to see the light by overcoming the dark hurdles if financial assistance is added to one's industry, honesty and single-minded devotion and dedication to work. Her award has created a wide excitement in the area and inspired people to transcend beyond the fringe of poverty. Rabeya of the remote area by dint of her creativity and hard work had not only established herself, but also enhanced the image of the country across the globe. The Small Entrepreneur Award has inspired her to be enterprising. Her eyes are now glowing with dreams. While receiving the award self-confident and self-reliant Rabeya said "I want to prosper further and create job opportunities for more people". Rabeya cherished a dream that towels woven in her factory will be exported abroad one day and it will earn credit and reputation for the country in future.

Shologhar is a remote village of Sadar upazila, under Sunamgonj district. Md. Abdul Hakim (70), a landless day laborer, lives here with six daughters. His wife had passed away in 2009. His elder two daughters got married in nearby village, but unfortunately youngest daughter is mentally disabled. It was very difficult for him to manage a large household expense with his tiny income. The family struggled continuously with malnutrition and poverty. From 2010, Hakim suffered from ophthalmic diseases and was gradually losing his eye sight. This problem soon became acute making it increasingly difficult for him to do his daily work properly. At last Hakim left his work of day laborer and started begging to take care of the family. Finally, darkness slowly comes down to his life. The once strong Hakim had to depend on his children. But it was quite impossible for him to operate or make treatment. He began to think the misery of the family and the treatment of his eyes. He was losing all hopes.The ENRICH had just established its Healthcare Program along with Education, Community Development and Training Program in his village at that time through Padakhep Manabik Unnayan Kendra, a Partner Organization of PKSF. When ENRICH Health Volunteers started their door-to-door rounds in the area, they met Hakim. They collected detailed ophthalmic information on his condition. They gave him and his entire family a thorough check up, registered them, issued a health card and advised his daughters to take him to one of the weekly satellite clinics for free consultation and treatment as soon as possible. Hakim visited the next available satellite clinic under ENRICH. There, an MBBS Doctor gave him a thorough eye check-up.

They identified the distorted condition of his eye due to heavy cataract forming and health assistants short listed him for a special treatment at an eye camp. This was, for Hakim, a ray of hope. He met a specialist in ophthalmology at the eye camp. It was diagnosed that he had immature senile cataracts in both eyes for which he would require surgery in one eye as the other was completely damaged and was not recoverable. The eye camp made all the necessary arrangements and in no time, The doctor performed cataract operation in his one eye successfully. Hakim made a swift recovery. After the operation of his one eye, he can see everything. Soon after, Hakim went back to his daily life, elated that he could once again stand on his own two feet and not be a burden to his children. This operation emerges her life, from darkness to light. Hakim says, “my darkness is removed and now I find the way of life.”

Besides health care services, Hakim’s family receives other services at the same time from ENRICH including grant money from beggar rehabilitation program, afternoon tutoring services for his children, awareness raising about social issues, skill enhancing training for having better earning opportunities, sanitation service and so on. In order to create opportunities for those who want to quit begging and return to normal life, Hakim received a grant of BDT 1 lac under the program and left begging. With this grant he bought a milking cow worth Tk. 40,000 and two auto rickshaw at the cost of Tk. 40,000. He spent the rest Tk. 20,000 for the renovation of their house. Now he is earning around BDT 3000-4000 per month which is in fact increasing gradually. Up to March 2016, Hakim saved Tk. 4080 from the earnings of cow and rickshaws. He takes two bighas of cultivable land on lease basis utilizing his savings and cultivated boro rice as a source of permanent income. He is also rearing a goat with two calves from which he earned extra income.

Abdul Hakim is now not a beggar, ENRICH transforms him as the productive member of the society. With the improvement of his physical and financial/material state, Hakim now claims attention and respect in the neighborhood. He is now live with dignity. He has become an example of pride and inspiration for the villagers. His dream is to provide higher education to his grand children and hope it will also come true. Hakim looks forward to seeing the day that ENRICH will change the future of this village and his country by continuing helping others in need, others like him, and showing them that anything is possible.