Tania Begum is 29. She has been working at Dekko Designs Ltd. for 9 years as a quality inspector. Her husband also works in the same factory. They have 2 children named Sathi and Tanbhir. She has a great interest in stitching. She is from Narsingdi and spent her childhood there as well. Now she resides nearby which is only 5-6 minutes away from her workplace.
She got emotional when we asked about her first day, ‘’ It was my first income, my own money!”
But in the beginning, her paydays were different from now. She bought so many things which she had not even needed as she had cash in hand and she could hardly save. Moreover, she had to collect her salary standing in line which was time-consuming and she felt unsafe carrying money with her.
She could not save much. So, there was insecurity about the future and emergency situation. But things got changed when she started getting her salary directly with her mobile money. For the very first time, she was nervous and confused with this new system. But gradually she overcame all these shortcomings and fear of forgetting the PIN number with the help of factory management. Mobile money helps her as she now does not carry cash with her. All the money she gets keeps them in her account. She withdraws as much as she needs. Now she has control over her money and she is saving for her business and her children’s future.
She told us that she got benefited from the training and the best things were learning about savings, where to save and where not. She found the best advice from the trainers was saving for an emergency in the future. She shared her learning with her coworkers and her family as well. Moreover, there are training-related posters in their factory and they listen to songs and watch videos played in PA system.
“My mother had control over our family. I lost my father in my childhood. So mother was the key person in my family. But my grandmother did not have any access to family decisions as my mother did and I do” she replied as we asked her about the difference between her and her mother and grandmother’s life.
There are lots of changes in her life with mobile money. Now she can easily recharge her phone even at midnight. She can send money easily and more importantly; she can save for her future.
Name: Tania Begum
Designation: Quality Inspector
