Name: Ms. Pru Santhanu Marma

Age: 28 years

Class: (Education literacy level) Class 10

Family: (no. Of children and husband) – Total 6 members (Husband, Children, Father  & Mother in law)

Huaband Name: Maung Maung Sing

Mother’s Name: Sau Marma

Village: Raicha Tholi Para, Sadar Union

District: Bandarban

Ms. Pru Santhanu Marma came from a deprived family of Raicha Tholi Para in Bandarban of CHT hill tracts area where she grew up with her family with 4 brothers and 3 sisters. Her parents’ incomes were too little to meet their basic needs along with their education cost. Though she lived in extreme conditions of poverty but she managed to complete her SSC.

In 2000, Pru Santhanu Marma got married with Maung Maung Sing who is a low paid employee in Karitas. They lived with 2 children along with father & mother in law. Her husband’s small income could not contribute to fulfill the cost of maintenance such as food, children education and living expenses. For that she actively involve in their traditional farming with her mother in law. But their traditional cultivation could not fulfill their scarcity.

In 2010 Ms. Pru Santhanu Marma joined as a record keeper in VSLA program, Community Managed Savings and Microfinance association of Food Security Project of TARANGO-AIDA-BNKS with the financial support of AECID, Spain in Bandarban. As a member of VSLA she learned how to maintain all procedure and saves money in their self manage association. As a project beneficiary she received training on mushroom from agriculturist/experts on the subject and took 26 mushroom seeds (free of cost) and earned 1500 Tk from by selling produced mushroom. She also joined in the training on agricultural practice in the hilly areas. She collected free seeds/seedlings (cucumber, ridge guard, sweet guard, bean) from the project.  She practiced her learning by utilizing her 40 decimal homestead lands with the support of agricultural officer and field animator of Food Security Project. This supports include not only hands-on production experience but also measured growth, careful planning, asset management, financial analysis, and strategic marketing for Pru Santhanu Marma. As a result day by day her income is increasing. And she is now fulfilling her and her families’ basic demand.

Economic solvency makes her self-confidence and she has engage her in other social works. As a result she has selected as vice president ‘vegetable committee’ of Food Security Project and ADB. Now she is directly communicates with market people and other wholesalers to promote the vegetables of vegetable committee member. She informs the farmer about the present market rate of vegetable. Her honest effort makes her trustable to other beneficiaries in the vegetable committee.

Beside that Pru Santhanu Marma also selected as the president of one of the learnimg center and Nursery Committee of Food Secuirity Project which was set up in Raisa para for conduct training, learning and use as social purpose. She becomes more popular that community people requested her to participate in the Union Council’s Election and not only that community people bears the all cost of election through campaigning, poster, handbill etc. And Pru Santhanu Marma won the selection by 8 vote by getting her relatives, neighbour and comminity people’s support.

Our Food Security Project has made a tremendous change in Pru Santhanu Marma’s life. She is now satisfied and comfortable with this chapter of her life and looks forward to he next one.