Keeping self busy with farming and stitching

Everyday at 6 o’clock Rehena wakes up, does her namaz and leaves for her field with her husband Illahi. This has been her timetable ever since she remembers. Her two daughters are married and her son who is 16-year-old learns sewing and works at Metiabhuj in Kolkata and stays with his master. Rehena had taken a loan of Rs 14,000 to grow cauliflower, and the loan amount was used in seeds, fertilisers and pesticides. They try and not employ labourers to save on the labour money. They work throughout the year and grow different vegetables including potato, paddy, jute. They farm for all these vegetables, but Rehina says the loan helped them to increase the produce by a good margin. “This loan helped us to produce a lot of cauliflower which were sold from the field itself. We did not even have to go and sell.” They produced up to 2 quintal or even more with the help of the loan, bringing them huge bargain in the wholesale market. Rehena and her family who are throughout the day involved in farming business, go to sell the produce in the market only when they are free from work. Apart from farming like other women in the village Rehena is also involved in stitching woollen clothes. Rehena says, “Now I have no one to talk to at home, so I keep myself busy, and when my daughters come home they also help me in stitching.” Rehena and her family are thankful to their lenders as this support has increased their yield and income..