Martina Rangdi (27), w/o. Adhir Nengwa (38) belongs to a tribal poor family of Bhuiyapara village in Ghoshgaon union of Dhobaura upazila under Mymensingh district. One son of 12 years old who reads in class-vi and one daughter of 14 years old who reads if class-viii. Selling the labor of husband and wife is the main income earning occupation of the family. But in this border area, there is no work during half of the year. Poor families migrate to different parts of the country in search of work to meet daily expenses.
Martin Rangdi became a member of ‘Padma Development Group’ of Bhuiyapara village when Salabambi Unnayan Samity (SUS) started Integrated Food Security for Aboriginal Communities (IFSAC II) Project for tribal in collaboration with MCC Bangladesh in 2021.
She learns about awareness and income generation activities by attending regular weekly yard meetings. She plans to grow vegetables on fallow land in the homeyard, on the advice of concerned staff. After clearing the weeds of 6 decimal fallow lands, the local varieties of vegetables and perennials were cultivated in the bed and hole process. Data (amaranth), red amaranth, spinach, gourds, radishes, cucumbers, tomatoes, cabbage, brinjals, bitter gourds and beans were grown in 28 holes and 13 beds by using self-produced vermi-compost. As a result, vegetables become green and fresh.
She learns Pest Control Management Techniques to keep vegetables safe from insects, diseases and pests with handmade pest killers. Selling labor in between work, husband and wife take time in the garden. Children also cooperate on time. The prices of vegetables are also very good at this time of increasing of price. In the first year of vegetable cultivation, she sold 1010 kg of vegetables and earned taka 30,960 excluding expenses. Martina Rangdi can sell vegetables in the local market next to her house and became known as a seller of poison and insect free vegetables and for this reason, her vegetables are in high demand.
Her gardens and courtyards are festooned throughout the year with perennial local varieties. She bought a goat with taka 6300 and a pig with taka 8000 from the profit of selling vegetables. The success of growing vegetables in the homeyard gives Martina courage in her mind, even if she cannot sell her labor, she does not have to suffer. She tries to buy any kind of vegetables in the market every day. Martina plans to grow more vegetables by leasing land with the income from selling vegetables. The husband and wife are moving forward with plans for fish culture in unused pond and rearing of 30 ducks.
Neighbor Bashir Mankin said, “Martina’s vegetable farming provides us with easy food and nutrition, and Martina showed us how to make successful by using backyard.” Seeing her, others are also trying to do so. Martina said “I have worked for people all my life but no one taught me how to work; I was able to learn and do with the help of SUS.” Martina dreams to bring successes in lives of their children.