Minu Begum, Heed Handicrafts

Minu is 29 years old and came from a very poor family with 3 sisters and 2 brothers. Her father a general construction labourer could not afford to feed all of his family so he decided to marry off Minu to a very old man who already had a wife and child. Minu didn’t understand what was happening but at the age of 15 married this man and the following year she had a son. She was very happy to have a son. After 7 years of marriage her husband died leaving her with no rights to his family. So she was left alone and very poor. Now she must look for a job. An artisan friend told her to come to HEED. She had no education and skills but they took her and wanted to help her. Her first job was unpacking and packing product . Then she started observing the sewing jobs and became interested in that. HEED encouraged her to sew and that’s what she does now and loves it. Soon after she remarried to a younger man and now has a second son. She is very happy and is out of her ‘darkness’.

She has been with HEED for 10 years and feels she has much DIGNITY now. She mostly works out of the HEED building because the conditions there are better eg better lighting and more space but she can work at home too .She can also have her sons come there after school. She can pay her own expenses and sends her sons to school and eats 3 meals a day. She sees a bright future for her sons. She would actually like her sons come to Canada.

She would like to tell Ten Thousand Villages to order lots of product so she can have a lot of continued work and for the customers to buy lots. She thanks us all.

Interview by Anne

More pictures from HEED:

A scene in the countryside on the way to HEED

Dyeing Jute