“I was looking at my own grown vegetables with my tearful eyes,” says 33-year-old Sokhina Hasda, overjoyed to see the fruits of her labour after learning how to produce home-grown food for her family.
Sokhina lives with her husband, their two children, and her mother-in-law in Gorbari village of Dinajpur, located in northern Bangladesh. Her husband was the sole earner in their family, but his limited income as a day labourer made it difficult to fulfill their family’s needs. Because of this, Sokhina and her family couldn’t maintain a healthy and nutritious diet – only eating rice, potatoes, and small portions of vegetables.
To support people like Sokhina, Foodgrains Bank and Nazarene Compassionate Ministries Canada funded a three-year agriculture and livelihoods program for 6,400 people (1,400 households), implemented by local partner Bangladesh Nazarene Mission.
Nearly 85 per cent of people living in this region depend on agriculture for their livelihoods and household food consumption, yet cannot produce enough food year-round due, in part, to small land sizes, and lack of knowledge on improved agricultural practices. Gender inequalities create an added burden for women, who struggle to access cash and are less supported to make financial decisions.
Sokhina was one of many women who participated in Self-Help Groups through the program, like the group pictured above, and took multiple trainings to improve her skills. “I’ve learnt many things after being involved,” she says. “All my learning and skills opened my eyes, and I can now make right choices.” (Photo: Bangladesh Nazarene Mission)
Through the program, Sokhina took the opportunity to join a Self-Help Group (SHG). She participated in weekly meetings, started to save money, and received training on various issues, including vegetable home gardening, how to cook low-cost nutritious food, and poultry rearing training. This encouraged Sokhina to take out a loan from her SHG and start a new business to benefit her family.
“In the past I used to provide rice and mashed potatoes to my children almost everyday, because I was not aware of food diversity,” she says. “But now, I can provide them with diverse food items which are also nutritious and delicious too. We, the older persons in our family, also consume these vegetables.”
“I will dedicate my vegetable garden for the family consumption, and the poultry farm will be for our family economic solvency, so that I can be benefitted from both ends.”
This story was originally published in the 2025 Winter edition of Breaking Bread.
