At 35, in Laksham, Cumilla, in southeastern Bangladesh, Shilpi begins her day at a local footwear workshop, not as a customer, but as an apprentice learning the craft of shoe repairing and manufacturing. For generations, this trade has been dominated by men, but Shilpi is proving that skill and resilience know no gender.Shilpi’s path to this workshop was shaped by hardship. Married at a young age and later widowed, she was left to raise two children with a very limited income. To survive, she began repairing shoes door to door. While the work provided a minimum earning of BDT 200 (USD 1.64) a day and exposed her to ridicule for stepping into “a man’s job.” The stigma was crushing, but Shilpi refused to give up.

Despite the trauma and isolation, Ayesha didn’t give up. She found a lifeline through SWAPNO, a social empowerment initiative implemented by UNDP and supported by the Government of Bangladesh, the Embassy of Sweden, and Marico Bangladesh. SWAPNO works to economically empower ultra-poor women through public works employment, life skills, and financial literacy training. Starting in public maintenance work, she received life skills and financial literacy training. Within a year, she saved from her modest salary and launched a small clothing business, stitching together not just garments, but a new future.

20-year-old Silvia Dio is quietly rewriting what’s possible, one cup of coffee at a time. Her small coffee stall is not just a shop; it is an innovation in these hills, where such ventures are rare and almost unheard of among the Garo. One of only two shops in the entire union, Silvia’s café has quickly become a landmark and a hub of community life. Every evening, as the sun sets behind the hills, neighbours gather at her stall to share laughter, stories, and steaming cups of coffee, transforming what was once a quiet corner into a vibrant meeting place.

Drenro Biswas sits beside his wife, Sova Rani, who weaves bamboo mats in their small home in Bagerhat. After an accident left Drenro unable to work, Sova became the family’s primary earner, supported by the SWAPNO programme.

Empowered by SWAPNO, Lipi turns a roadside stall into a launchpad for her daughter’s dreams. With every cup she serves, Lipi Begum is stirring hope, dignity, and a brighter future for the next generation.

Mini sits inside her vibrant tea and grocery stall in Gaibandha, a business built from resilience and support through the SWAPNO programme, helping her secure her son’s education and her family’s future.

Julekha’s journey from struggle to success is inspiring women in Malibari Union to pursue their own dreams of independence and entrepreneurship.

From storms to strength: Sharmin’s journey shows how SWAPNO empowers women to rebuild and thrive amid climate challenges.

At just 28 years old, Mst. Anju Ara has faced more challenges than many endure in a lifetime. Her story is one of courage, and transformation.

Amena's life took a devastating turn when she endured unimaginable violence at the hands of her husband. The abuse left her permanently blind in one eye and caused the loss of her unborn child. Four years ago, she fled her abusive household with her two children and sought refuge at her mother’s home. Through SWAPNO II, Amena began working on maintaining roads and public structures in her community. This opportunity brought steady income and introduced her to training programs that taught her how to save money, manage small businesses,

Deepali Rani Mandal transformed her struggles into strength, showing that with the right opportunities, women can rise above adversity and inspire change.

From a struggling single mother to a thriving entrepreneur, Sheuli's journey is a powerful testament to how resilience and support can transform lives and uplift entire communities.

Champa Begum, originating from Kurigram’s Gopalpur, a successful tea stall owner and a mother of two daughters, tells a very different story when she talks of her past...

It is perhaps impossible to imagine what goes through a mother when poverty drives her to put her children in an orphanage to ensure food for them. But that’s....

Thirteen years back, 38-year-oldIrani from Jamalpur had no other choice but to divorce her addicted husband. She was left alone with the responsibility of her threechildren...

Health risks are generally regarded by rural distressed women as the most costly risks...

Twenty-eight-year-old Muslima Akter left her job in Dhaka two years ago to tend to her ailing mother at Bharashimia under Satkhira’s Kaliganj Upazila. She was a...

Eight months back, Momota Begum went to a local MFS agent to encash her savings after fifteen months of employment at the SWAPNO project....

38-year-old Swapna from Kanchipara, Gaibandhapossess multiple identities- skilled seamstress, President of a women-ledCooperative, owner of a Vermicompost ...

Rashida (35) lost her desire to live when her husband disowned her for good. She fell in deep trouble as she had nothing but three children’s responsibilities....

Burdened with a disabled husband and two children, Saleha’s life had always been in despair. Being the sole breadwinner, she could hardly meet her family’s needs. But

Just two years back, Asha Akhter was struggling hard to make ends meet. But now, she is the only successful woman...

For Anowara Begum, the last five years were a roller-coaster ride. Being left behind with two daughters as her husband decided...

Twenty-eight-year-old Muslima Akter left her job in Dhaka two years ago to tend to her ailing mother at Bharashimla under...

Asiron was only 17 years old when she got married and eventually became mother of three children. Coming from a poverty...

What comes to our mind when we think of a meat-seller? Yes, a man cutting, packaging and selling meat to people. But what if...

Shiuly Begum (38), hails from Kanchipara union of Fulchari Upazila of Gaibandha district, joins SWAPNO this year with a dream to...

Three years back, when Rashida Khatun’s (35) husband disowned her for good and left her with three children...

Whenever any pandemic or natural disaster occurs, people especially rural poor women suffer the most. Shahina Khatun, one of the...

The SWAPNO project stands committed not only to providing an episode of employment for extreme poor women during project...

It takes three hours by an engine boat, crossing the mighty Brahmaputra River, to reach Afsana’s small hut in a remote village...

Swapna Rani, born in a poverty-stricken family, was married off at the age of twelve, unprepared for marriage and the difficult...

Public Works (PWs) programmes are implemented by the government or aid-agencies to create short term employment for...

The Government safety net programme, SWAPNO, entered a partnership with EcoFab, a sister concern of the Viyellatex Group...

Anowara lives on a pristine island in rural Bangladesh, 360km from the capital Dhaka, surrounded by the Dudhkumar (the Milk River)

Jamila’s life was literally shattered by the strokes of poverty, river erosion and disease. After marriage she started her new...

It was lean period, starvation was rampant. All edible leaf, vegetables and roots in the village exhausted. Bakron’s family went....