Noor Jahan lives at Mistri Para village in Ramna union of Chilmari Upazila with her physically challenged husband Rubel Mia (20) and elderly father-in-law. Their only source of income is her Father-in-law’s daily wage from the agriculture fields. Flood is a recurring event in her village. In times of flood, the family’s only source of income suffers. Passing S.S.C this year brought a ray of home for Noor and her family. She got trained on making face masks from NRP helping her earn earn BDT. 3000 a month by selling face masks. Self Help Group (SGH) helped her getting a Sewing Machine from a local NGO. Proud Noor says, “Nowadays, women from nearby villages are coming to me to learn how to make masks.” With this small success, Noor also got the courage to enrol herself in H.S.C at a local College.
She started believing that disability is not a barrier. “I’m now working to establishing myself in the society through my perseverance”, she reaffirms. As an active member of SHG, Noor advocates to make the system enabling for the people with disabilities. As a result, two community clinics have installed ramps; 23 people have received assistive devices, 31 accessible tube-wells and 12 latrines. Besides, representation of people with disabilities has been ensured in union, ward level disaster management committees and flood volunteer groups.
