Salma Khatun: Sanitation Entrepreneur

Salma Khatun, a social science graduate from the National University, always wanted to pursue a job. She was greatly motivated by her husband, who worked for an NGO. Her mother-in-law was irritated with her because she desired her daughter-in-law to be totally focused on household chores, but she studied most of the time in order to get a job.

She took part in several interviews, but she was unsure of the reason for her lack of employment success. Salma was a diligent learner who performed well on all public exams. Her husband sincerely hoped that her wife would get a job and the family’s livelihood would be better than in their previous lives. But Slama met an unfortunate end and spent several years in her house, drowning in depression. Encouraged by her husband, she searched for business ideas to launch a profitable business.

In the meantime, she was pregnant and blessed with a daughter. Her mother-in-law was mostly sad because she was expecting a boy, but she and her husband were pleased.

Salma began tutoring the kids next door at her house and put the money she made aside. For her cloth tailoring business, she wished to buy a sewing machine. Her spouse gave her spiritual support and assisted her with cash.

She launched the business a year later, but only a few customers responded. When a lady came to her to sew her daughter's school uniform, she told her about the WASH SDG project, which was implemented by the non-governmental organisation, Hope for the Poorest (HP) . Whatever business possibility the project presented, Salma was keen to become an entrepreneur.

She contacted colleagues about the project and understood it. Her community's sanitation infrastructure was inadequate, so she made the decision to become a sanitation entrepreneur. She formally launched the business and learnt how to operate it.

The people in the community did not know much about the business, and they did not welcome her since she was a woman. Her husband and project colleagues always inspired her and provided the necessary support to do the business. Slowly, the neighbourhood took her advice on hygiene seriously and bought toilets for their homes.

The business is growing now, and Salma spends nearly every day either negotiating the acquisition of raw materials or selling the products to consumers. The monthly income is 22,000 taka, which is quite a lot for her family. Her husband is now a full-time worker in her business centre.

When asked whether she was satisfied, she replied, "As a woman, I've already proven that women can do everything. People only thought that men were suitable and comfortable for the sanitation business."