Struggle of Existence Story

Once upon a time, there was a woman named Bilkis who was in the middle years of her life. She had three sons. Her husband, however, was not a hard worker and didn't contribute to the family's needs. As a result, she had to work tirelessly every day to earn money for the family. One day, some people from the Grameen Bank came to her village. They talked about helping those who were poor, had no land, and were in difficult situations.

From them, Bilkis learned about an opportunity to get a loan, especially aimed at helping women in rural areas. She decided to take a loan of three thousand taka. With this money, she bought a traditional hand-operated rice milling machine called a "dheki" and some rice. Once she had the loan, she and her husband made a plan. They first built a simple thatched hut, so they didn't have to live out in the open sky anymore.

With the profits they earned from the rice milling and selling the rice, they managed to pay back the first part of the loan. They also used the money to buy food and clothes for their children. Bilkis sold the rice at the market and made a decent amount of profit. Through this determined effort, she was able to change her family's situation for the better.