Monimala's story - a bird in the hand - Leprosy Mission Australia

Monimala's story - a bird in the hand

Monimala was the eldest among her siblings. Being brought up in a poor family, she was only able to study up to eighth grade.

Like many adolescent girls in Bangladeshi villages, Monimala had an arranged marriage. At the age of 15, she married a local man. Within a few years she became a mother of two sons.

Her husband ran a small shop in the village. It was all going well for Monimala until her husband got sick. During their eighth year together, Monimala lost her husband.

After her husband’s death, Monimala felt helpless with her two sons. She lived with her mother-in-law who tried to look after the family by raising a milking cow. However, selling milk wasn’t enough for the family to survive. That’s when Monimala decided to work with Jobarpar Enterprise as an artisan. She has been working there since 2005.

Currently, she is able to earn a sufficient wage to help her run the family and send her sons to school. Her eldest son is in the ninth grade and the younger goes to the 6th grade.

Recently, she was able to buy a land for her family!

Monimala’s dream is to work for Jobarpar Enterprise as long as possible and build a brighter future for her sons. Like many other artisans who are working under Jobarpar Enterprise, she is grateful to Prokritee fair trade for providing her an opportunity to have a better life.

The Leprosy Mission Australia sources handmade products from Prokritee fair trade for the gift shop. You can enjoy Monimala’s craftmanship by purchasing the items below.