Lakshmi Biswas (66), wife of Mongol Biswas from Kadambari village under Agailjhara upozila of Barisal district is one of the successful micro entrepreneur. She is mother of 4 daughters and 1 son who entered into marriage life at her only 13 years old. Her husband was a security guard in a local Baptist Mission with very low income to manage their family’s basic needs.

Lakshmi was looking for an alternative income source and joined with Tarango Handicraft program and worked successfully. Side by side she was thinking for other opportunities. In 1997, she received micro business development and food processing training. Following the trainings she started pickle business with an initial investment support of BDT 8000 from Tarango and own savings. She used to sell her home made pickles adjacent to a missionary school. At the beginning her daily sale was around 100 to 200 taka. Besides the job, her husband also assisted her to run the business. Both husband and wife worked hard together to establish their business.  They are now selling pickle in different places on a mobile Rickshaw van. Current daily sale is 700-800 taka.

Her husband has retired from job and received 70,000 TK from provident fund which they keep in the bank. Her husband also now fulltime engage in the business and the business is now running well. They are now able to save regularly after meeting their family expenses. She bought 1 acre (100 decimal) agricultural land and built a good house. She told that this change is happened her life because of Tarango.