DHAKA, June 10, 2025 (BSS)- Fifty-three-year-old Jhorna Roy has been working to make women self-dependent for one and a half decades. She has already trained 550 women in tailoring, nakshikatha tailoring, making dolls and various beaded items of her area.
 
Jhorna used to live at Kathaltoli village in Dighinala upazila of Khaghrachari district. She has received many awards for keeping role in women's development.
 
She lost her husband Monishangkar Roy in 2006 and came to Alinagar of Dighinala from Abhoynagar of Jessore. She became close to the locals within a few days. She established a school named Jhornadhara School for the children of the village in 2007 and started work in making the local women self-dependent.
 
Jhorna said, "I want to do something for the backward women of the society. I feel proud to give lessons to them. Now, they are like relatives of mine. Two days (Monday and Tuesday) of every week they have learnt tailoring, two days (Thursday, Friday) they have learnt songs and other three days (Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday) they have learnt of making dolls, tailoring of nakshi katha and other creative works."
 
She said that she didn't take any honorarium for the training. "I teach them and they let me eat and that is my peace."
 
Beauty Shil, one trainee of Jhorna, said, "I've learnt tailoring and making dolls from Jhorna aunty. Now, I'm working at a local shop and earning money."
 
Prothyasha, another woman of the village, said, "I took lessons about two years from her (Jhorna). Currently, I opened a shop at a local market. With the income of my shop, I'm running my five-member family. I'm really so much grateful to her. She changed my life. My two children are now going to school."
 
She said Jhorna didn't demand any money for teaching the works. She is giving the training at free of cost, Prothyasa added.
 
Shawrna Rani Gomsta, a nine grade student of Hachinsonpur High School, said, "I've taken the training of tailoring from Jhorna aunty during COVID 19 situation as the school was closed for long. Now, I'm assisting my father to run our family through contributing financially. On an average, my income is about Taka 2000 to Taka 3000 per month. I'm
doing this along with my education."