Written April 2010
Country: Bangladesh
Mosammat Selina Begum was born in the Gutia village of Ujirpur Thana of Barisal district, Bangladesh. Selina is the second child in her family. When she had almost finished her studies, her parents requested that she not take the final exam because they could not afford exam fees for both her and her younger brother. She then helped support her family by providing tutoring before her marriage.
In 2002 Selina married Anisur (Anis) Rahman Khan of Rakudia village of Babugonj Thana of Barisal district. As the eldest son, he became responsible for all family issues after losing his father at a young age. To help the family, a maternal uncle provided Anis with work in his grocery shop, which also sold fertilizers. In 2004 the shop closed, and he lost his job.
Selina wanted to help her husband but was not sure how. She explained, “I had some education, but there was not an appropriate job for me in the village.” Selina asked Anis to discuss a new business idea with his uncle. Anis was impressed with her idea and went to his uncle, asking him to assist in the construction of a new shop on land the uncle owned near the Dhaka-Barisal Highway. Anis’ uncle also believed in Selina’s business plan and built a shop with four rooms. Anis rented the shop for 3,000 taka (tk.) per month and started a grocery business. Selina secured an 80,000 tk. loan from the Integrated Community Development Association (ICDA), which helped Anis furnish his new shop with grocery goods and a variety of fertilizer products.
In 2007 Anis became very ill with gallbladder stones. Selina, her two sons and mother in-law were left to run the business and provide for the family while her husband recovered. Around this time, Cyclone Sidr struck, causing destruction throughout Bangladesh. Her family’s crops were lost (both paddy rice and vegetables); large trees fell across their land and house, causing major damage. With her husband sick and the devastation caused by Sidr, Selina was overwhelmed. She took loans from local money lenders at very high rates of interest and also from other sources to overcome the crisis.
In April 2009 Selina learned from her husband about a machine that makes guti urea supergranule (USG) briquettes. Anis had been informed about the briquetter by Mujibur Rahman, a local sub-assistant agricultural officer (SAAO) of the Bangladesh Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE). Rahman told her family that IFDC would provide a machine to make guti urea. In addition, the Improved Livelihood for Sidr-Affected Rice Farmers (ILSAFARM) project would provide training and other necessities. Selina learned from both the SAAO and IFDC field monitoring officer about guti urea and how to increase crop production while using less fertilizer.
Anis provided space in his shop to place the machine. They could own the machine by paying only 20 percent of its total cost. Because of Selina’s education and available time, she was able to travel to the DAE and other offices to discuss the potential of the USG machine. She deposited 20 percent of the cost of the briquetting machine in the bank. An engineer from IFDC visited Selina’s shop and trained her in the operation and management of the machine. She hired four employees to run the machine.
To promote her new product, Selina set up demonstration plots near her shop to show the local people the positive results of using guti urea in the paddy field. She received lots of praise and encouragement from local farmers and residents. Many came from neighboring villages to see the demonstration plots. They asked her questions about guti urea and its use. The next year she set up another demonstration plot. Farmers recognized the improved yield from these two plots. Some of them began addressing her as Selina Apa (Selina Madam). Selina commented, “I feel very honored and proud as people are calling me Apa (Madam). Earlier I thought that people would criticize me and my work.”
She created the two demonstration plots using her own money; the crop yield will belong to the owner of the plots. However, people developed trust in Selena’s activities because she established the demonstration plots and let the landowners keep the crop yields.
“IFDC officers brought many people including foreigners to see my plots,” Selena said. She recently arranged a training session in front of one of the demonstration plots where she distributed T-shirts and other promotional materials. Farmers were so impressed by her plots that they promised Selina that they would use guti urea for their crops. The farmers also asked Selina why she was spending her own money for promotional materials. Selina told them, “I did it to familiarize farmers with the use of guti urea and to increase the sales from our machine and shop.” Selina knew that to grow her business she needed to use effective marketing and advertising techniques. She provides marketing materials about guti urea to local people, including women.
As her business grew, Selina started an Agriculture Advisory and Information Center at her shop in cooperation with DAE and the ILSAFARM project. The local SAAO regularly visits the center to provide advice to farmers on proper application and doses of guti urea, as well as other aspects of effective farming. People come for advice and at the same time can see the machine and guti urea. Some of them are convinced to purchase guti. Selina has arranged to have promotional movies on urea deep placement (UDP) technology regularly shown to farmers and shoppers. Her husband has also become a part of the center.
In the first year following the purchase of the briquette machine, Selina used guti urea on one acre of land owned by her husband in the 2009 Aman season. She generated a yield that was 25 percent higher than the previous year. Production levels of the briquetting machine also increased by season. The briquetter produced 37 tons of guti in Aus season, 87 tons in Aman season and 160 tons in Boro season. Currently, Selina is planning to produce guti in advance for the coming Aus season. She is also planning to plant another demonstration plot in an area where people are not yet using guti for their cropland.
Visiting farmers often ask Selina if this business hampers her household and other family activities. She smiles and answers that she can manage all her work including the business and her family. She receives encouragement and help from her husband, sons, mother-in-law, parents, siblings and SAAO and IFDC officers.
Selina’s parents are also proud of her entrepreneurial spirit. They were recently traveling by train and carrying a bag that Selina received from an IFDC training session. On the bag was the phrase, “On Behalf of the American People,” (the tagline of the U.S. Agency for International Development, the donor funding ILSAFARM). One of the travelers asked her father about the bag. He was happy to explain that his daughter had her own successful business.
Since opening the shop and producing guti urea briquettes, Selina has earned enough to repay loans and buy items for her home including a better working latrine. She also plans to sink a new tube well for drinking water. She has begun to save money to purchase a piece of land to build a house near her shop, allowing her to move easily between both her shop and home. Selena and Anis dream of purchasing land on the side of the highway for a new shop and factory. Finally, Selina hopes that she can provide a good education for both of her sons.
Selina is very proud of her accomplishments. She would like to see more female entrepreneurs like herself across Bangladesh.