DHAKA, Jan 19, 2024 (BSS) - After her long-struggling life, Nilufar Akhter, a hapless woman, has become self-reliant through engaging with the Notun Din programme.

Since her childhood, she was confined by a series of tragic and barbaric events, which pushed her to severe difficulties for survival in society. When Nilufa gave up all hope to survive in the society closing all doors of her life, Notun Din Programme brought a ray of hope in her life by appointing her as sales representative of SMP.     

Coming from a poor family of Saluadi village under Pakundia upazila of Kishoreganj, Nilufar Akhter is one such struggling and successful woman, who became financially solvent through a long struggle.

Nilufa is a pioneer for the women in the society as she conquered extreme adversity with her own will power. Many women are following her footsteps to become self-reliant as she has set an indomitable example of women empowerment in society.

Born in a very poor family, Nilufa had to face many difficulties since her childhood. Her father Khairuzzaman died suddenly. After his death, her mother Chapa Akhtar along with three sons and three daughters had to struggle to provide food for the family.

Nilufa was in class eight when her studies stopped due to financial hardship. In such a situation, she had to get married at a young age in 2015. She was married to a garment worker from the neighboring Patuavhanga area.

She suffered an irony of fate, as her husband and mother-in-law severely tortured her. At one stage of brutal torture, her unborn child died inside her womb. Her husband divorced her. Subsequently, she went back to her father's house.

Being socially neglected and burdened in brother's family, Nilufa was hapless and frustrated with her life. At that time she met one Saleha Begum, a community mobilizer of the government's 'Notun Din (New Days)' project on maternal and child health.

Nilufa attended the meeting of the Notun Din project at Population Services Center (PSTC) under the supervision of SMC in 2017 at Saleha's invitation. Inspired from there, she started working as a sales representative of SMP as a gold star member.

She worked very hard day and night, attending yard meetings and door to door selling of the birth control pills, condoms, Femicon, sanitary napkins, Joya Ursaline, Monemix and gave advice on maternal and child health to the grassroots villagers.

And thus the wheel of her fortune began to turn. By selling the products, she earned a profit of Taka six to seven thousand per month. Her livelihood depends on this and today she is self-reliant.

Now, she has got a new name in the area as 'Notun Din or Joya Apa.' Even during the COVID-19 pandemic she continued to work by maintaining the health rules. The common housewives of the village greatly benefited from her.

Talking to BSS, Upazila Women's Affairs Officer Swapan Dutta said, "Nilufa, a divorcee, was born in a poor family. But she did not stop her struggle for life. Hard work, concentration and indomitable spirit have brought her where she is today."

Nilufa, who forgot the horrors of torture and started life with new enthusiasm, was awarded the best winner award at the upazila and district levels in the women's category in recognition of her work.

This indomitable Nilufa is now the motivation of thousands of women who are leading miserable lives.

The program named as 'Notun Din' (NewDays) -- a community mobilization-based intervention working in 104 upazilas of 32 districts -- is working to address the low contraceptive prevalence rate and relatively high infant mortality rate in the region.

This Community Mobilization program aims to increase awareness, knowledge, and improve healthy behaviors among the targeted populations in the intervention areas.