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“Four years ago, I thought poverty was my destiny, a chain that confined me, and was going to confine my family too,” says Nazrul Islam, whose family of five lived on less than a dollar a day prior to learning about IDE’s treadle pump program in Bangladesh. Because he could not properly irrigate his family’s small plot of land, Nazrul was forced to provide for his family from infrequent work as a day laborer.
When he learned about IDE’s inexpensive treadle pump from a relative, Nazrul applied for a micro-loan to cover the costs of the pump and drilling a well on his land, about $20. Results were immediate. He was able to grow eggplant, cabbage, onions, peppers, and tomatoes during the dry season between September and March, earning about $110 each trip to the local market. The family rice plot now produces enough rice to feed the family 11 months out of the year. He was able to repay the loan and buy additional land within the first year of use.
In addition, Nazrul replaced his thatch roof with a corrugated tin roof and added two goats and several chickens to his family’s livestock. But one of the most important uses for his additional income is the ability to keep all of his children in school. “I hope that one of my sons will go on to school in Dhaka and get a good government job,” he says. His additional income has also allowed his daughters to remain in school, which is uncommon in the village.
The change in Nazrul’s life was so profound that he decided to start a business distributing the treadle pump. He sells about 35 pumps a year, earning a commission of about $2.50 for each treadle pump system sold.
“By adopting the techniques of low cost irrigation technology with an entrepreneurial skill, I was able to change my life,” he says, “I was elected as a Union Parishad Member in my community, and got involved in social development activities to share my experience to help other people struggling against poverty. I am not worried about the future of my children any more, and neither is anyone else in my community with the help of the treadle pump and IDE.”
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