Pusha Rani lives in Satkhira district in rural Bangladesh and, like over 50 percent of the girls there, she was married before she was 18. Her parents couldn’t support her, so they found a husband for her when she was just 15 years old. Pusha’s husband, an agricultural day laborer, struggled to provide for their new family. Pusha also worked as a day laborer, helping to support her husband, but she felt hopeless to overcome poverty.

Then, in 2018, Pusha found out about the Integrated Community Development Program that World Renew partner Faith in Action (FIA) had started the year before. FIA works to help communities build their agricultural knowledge and skills. It’s hard to grow crops in coastal Satkhira because of the salinity of the soil, so FIA encourages farming in the rainy season, when salinity drops.

In addition to participating in agricultural training through FIA, Pusha also had the opportunity to join an all-female savings and loan group. She saved some money, and then she began to dream. She took out a low interest loan of 5,000 taka (45.54 USD) and planted different kinds of vegetables on her family’s land. She even used her roof to grow pumpkins!

Pusha was able to lift her family out of poverty with her hard work and dedication. Now, during the rainy season, she earns 12,000 to 13,000 taka (109.31 to 118.41 USD) monthly by selling her vegetables at the market. She paid back her first loan, took out another loan of 10,000 taka (91.09 USD), and leased land from a neighbor to expand her vegetable garden.

Pusha isn’t a day laborer anymore. She is a self-employed farmer and a businesswoman. Her children are growing up and continuing their education. This past year, she was recognized as a successful farmer by both FIA and her community. Pusha says, “There was a time when I had to borrow food from my neighbors to feed my children. I used to feel shame. Now, it is a joy to my heart that I grow my own food and can feed my family. My family is growing healthy and happy.”