The story of Mukta Bashphore

Meet Mukta Bashphore, a 25-year-old sanitation worker from Kalaroa Municipal in Satkhira, Bangladesh. Despite living with her husband, son, father-in-law, mother-in-law, and brother-in-law in a small, one-room colony, Mukta finds strength and unity in her community. But ever since the formation of the Kalaroa pouro shormojibi somobay Somiti LTD cooperative in 2020, their bonds have grown stronger than ever before.

Before the cooperative, Mukta and her community had no assets of their own and faced difficulty accessing loans due to the negative perception surrounding their line of work. They had limited access to essential services, such as municipal offices and banks. When the pandemic hit, a female employee from Practical Action introduced Mukta to the idea of forming a cooperative. Intrigued yet confused, Mukta shared the idea with her colony, and they unanimously agreed it was a great concept.

Mukta was elected president of the cooperative, and with the help of Practical Action, received training on leadership, managerial processes, and entrepreneurship. The cooperative now has 20 members who save 300 BDT per month, and their collective savings total 3 lakh BDT. They even have life insurance, ensuring that if a member passes away, their family will receive 50,000 BDT.

The cooperative has transformed Mukta's life, giving her access to previously off-limits places, such as government offices and banks. They now use modern equipment in their work, and the public recognizes them as "sanitation workers" rather than "dirty workers." They even operate a public toilet, earning 250-300 BDT per day and seeking new ways to generate income.

With big dreams for her community, Mukta aspires to purchase land for farmers, providing them with fertilizer made from their plant, and starting a business manufacturing sanitation product for government hospitals. As a woman from a marginalized community, Mukta faces numerous obstacles, but the cooperative provides her with the courage to overcome them. She firmly believes that men and women possess equal potential and can achieve anything they set their minds to.