Iqbal Shiraji, Chattogram
Nikhad Prokriti
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I believe that it is difficult to lead a happy and healthy life without being in contact with the blessings of nature. And my journey to becoming an entrepreneur was inspired by this belief. I realized that there is a need to introduce organic food products into the diets of the people of my region. But to do that, I needed to make the organic food accessible to the people. And that was the inception of Nikhad Prokriti. Since 2014, Nikhad Prokriti’s main objective has been to provide everyone with natural ways of living by delivering quality products.

We started our operation with country-fresh foods and vegetables. However, we did encounter a major setback from the start. Noakhali was not the best place to plant and harvest all types of fruits and vegetables because of the soil and the environment. That’s why there was a significant amount of resistance. Still, by outsourcing from other vicinities and districts, we managed to start our production of rice, honey, etc. As this initiative was a completely new concept to many people, there was very low demand for our products. But we were also resilient. We did not stop our journey and moved forward with our vision. 

Because of the comparatively high price of our products, we thought of ways to create awareness about natural food products. So, we started many campaigns and sessions to educate the women and men who cook daily but do not know the proper recipes or methods. Cooking is an art, and if you don’t follow the correct rules and methods of cooking, you will not get whole nutrients from your favorite foods. That’s why our goal was to give them access to our research about healthy foods and cooking. We conducted many campaigns in our locality where many women and men participated. 

When everything seemed to be going well, the Covid-19 appeared. The situation became very tough for us because of countrywide restrictions. As our production heavily depended on outsourcing the finished materials from different regions, the limitation on transportation deeply affected us. We usually collect authentic honey from the Sundarbans. However, during the nationwide lockdown, the supply chain was destroyed, and delivery was not possible. On top of that, the purchasing power of customers declined rapidly, and the demand fell below our expectations. Still, we are hopeful for the future because our action to spread healthy green foods is necessary to shape future generations.

The roadshow I attended from LightCastle Partners at Chattogram gave me an amazing opportunity to learn more sustainable ways to lead a business. I am grateful for the training session, as it allowed me to get a fresh perspective. As for our future endeavors, we plan to create awareness among young people because that will ensure a healthier tomorrow. If they can adopt the methods and techniques of eating healthy, they can pass that on to the next generation. So, our only objective is to reach as many people as possible with our Nikhad Prokriti.