In 2014, I was desperately seeking a job. I tried my heart and soul but couldn’t manage a well-paying job. My elder brother had a dairy farm. The business was profitable. He inspired me to get into this business. Borrowing from my father, I bought 2 cows with 1.6 lacs taka. That is how I started my journey of entrepreneurship. 

The dairy farm was growing with the collaborative effort of my family. My elder brother has been supportive in every step. Since he had a farm of his own, he understood this sector very well. From time to time, he advised me on ways to make profits. As I had my brother’s support with me, I didn’t have to face any serious issues on my farm. My younger brother used to help me when necessary. Hence, we didn’t need any other workers. My main business was selling milk. Depending on the market, sometimes I used to sell cows too. 

By 2019, I had six cows on my farm. I took training in Oxfam, which had a crucial impact on my business. I also participated in LightCastle Partners’ training program and it was an extremely insightful experience for me. The training was designed for entrepreneurs where they taught us the tools and techniques to make a business profitable. I also learned about bank documents in detail, which further helped me to prepare my papers to avail of loans. In essence, my business was running smoothly and steadily, until 2020.

My business lost pace when the pandemic occurred. During the lockdown, transportation was halted and my business was down. It was getting difficult for me to manage cattle feed for my cows. I realized continuing the farm would only harm my financial stability. Subsequently, I sold most of my cows and suspended my dairy farm business. However, I needed a different source of income. This is when my brother helped me again. He handed me over his grocery shop, which he was unable to manage due to his multiple ventures. So, I took charge of it. My family has always been by my side, at my best or my worst. They are my biggest strength and it is for them I cannot help but move forward. 

I had some cash saved up to invest in my dairy farm. Since the farm was in a critical situation, I called it off. The primary goal for a business is to make profits. If a business is making losses, it is not wise to invest in it. On the other hand, if the cash is not invested, there will be no return whatsoever. Hence, I put the 2.5 lacs taka into the grocery store and it is going quite well. Besides, we started a guava garden in our 2.5-acre land, which is also very promising. Despite all of these, I would like to restart my dairy farm once the lockdown situation improves. I wholeheartedly pray for these trying times to be over and wish to live a content life with my family.