LocationsEmpowering Women, Building Resilience: Kabita’s Journey from Survival to Leadership
Kabita's Quest to Elevate Her Village
December 10, 2024
Kabita Banerjee in her grocery store, 'Orthi Telecom,' where she empowers her community through entrepreneurship and financial literacy.
©UNDP Bangladesh
In the village of Hariharpur in Khulna, Kabita Banerjee and her family struggled with frequent floods and soil erosion, relying on crabbing for their income. Despite their efforts, they could barely meet family expenses or provide education for their children. As climate calamities worsened, many families migrated away from Hariharpur.
Through the Kapotaksha Women Development Team, Kabita learned climate-adaptive skills and sustainable income sources. Though her first crab-fattening attempt was destroyed by floods, she applied her new knowledge and began earning profits, with the added benefit of digital cash transfers. Kabita also learned how to use mobile wallets and transfer funds; a skill rare in her village. “Gaining this technological knowledge, finding a network of supportive people, and obtaining confidence allowed me to pursue my entrepreneurial purpose,” she shared.
With her savings and crab-fattening profits, Kabita opened a grocery store, 'Orthi Telecom,' which also became a mobile cash transfer hub. This venture sparked economic momentum in her community, encouraging three other women to start their own businesses.
Kabita Banerjee, a beacon of resilience and empowerment, inspiring her community with entrepreneurial spirit and climate-adaptive solutions.
©UNDP Bangladesh
Now, as head of the Climate and Livelihood Development Cooperative Society, Kabita supports 147 women in gaining financial and technological literacy, helping them build resilient livelihoods. Through mobile cash transfers, they save, invest, and achieve economic independence. Kabita’s story illustrates the power of financial knowledge and inclusivity, showing how she has not only created multiple income streams but also empowered other women to lead economically sustainable lives, even in the face of climate adversity.
For Kabita, a 35-year-old climate-vulnerable woman, survival meant seeking refuge in emergency shelters whenever the river overflowed. Despite these harsh conditions, she held onto hope for better days. Five years ago, Kabita’s life changed when she came across the Local Government Initiative on Climate Change (LoGIC) Project, a joint initiative by the Embassy of Sweden (SIDA) and the Embassy of Denmark, with support from UNDP Bangladesh and UNCDF, implemented by Bangladesh’s Local Government Division. This project aimed to empower climate-vulnerable communities through capacity development training for Climate Adaptive Livelihood Options (CALO).
Kabita Banerjee: Empowering women and building resilience through climate-adaptive skills and entrepreneurship
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