Paisano Marma, 34, a mother of two from Khagrachhari’s Guimara upazila, once depended on daily wage labour, earning barely Tk 4,500 a month. The income was often not enough to cover household expenses and her children’s education.
“I always wanted to give my children a better life,” she told The Daily Star. “But our combined income was not enough.”
Today, Paisano supplements her income by producing and selling homemade pickles, jellies and fruit-based candies.
Her journey began after she received a five-day food-processing training, where she learned to prepare products such as mango pickle, pineapple jelly and fruit candy using hygienic methods.
With Tk 500, she started selling small packets in local markets and shops. Over the past four months, her sales have exceeded Tk 10,000.
The additional income has eased financial pressure and encouraged her to dream bigger. Although she does not yet own a smartphone, she hopes to sell her products online and reach customers beyond the hill tracts.
“What started with Tk 500 has become something I want to grow,” she said.
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Jaharlata Tripura, 51, a mother of four, spent years working in other people’s homes for small wages to support her family. The work was irregular and the income barely covered daily expenses.
Today, she runs a small grocery shop in her village, selling household essentials alongside homemade snacks prepared in her own kitchen. The business has given her a more stable source of income and reduced her dependence on day labour.
“Before, I worked for others to earn a little money,” she said. “Now I have my own shop and my own customers. It is not a large business, but it helps me support my family.”
The transformation experienced by women like Paisano and Jaharlata was supported through the Partnership for Resilient Livelihoods in CHT Region (PRLC), a three-year initiative implemented by Assistance for the Livelihood of the Origins (ALO) with support from Manusher Jonno Foundation and funding from the European Union.
Working with 2,309 indigenous households in Guimara, the project combined livelihood support, skills training, market access initiatives and community infrastructure to help women move beyond subsistence activities and participate more actively in local economic life.
The interventions included food-processing training, high-value crop cultivation, market collection points, digital financial services and women-friendly facilities aimed at reducing barriers to economic participation.
Shaheen Anam, executive director of Manusher Jonno Foundation, said, “When women earn an income, families become more financially secure, children often have better opportunities and women gain greater confidence to participate in decisions that affect their lives.”
She said women in the hill tracts have long contributed to household livelihoods, but economic opportunities help make that contribution more visible, recognised and valued.
Access to markets has long been a challenge for farmers and small entrepreneurs in the hill tracts. Many had to travel long distances from remote villages to sell vegetables, fruits and processed foods, often spending significant time and money.
Mongno Marma, an entrepreneur and president of a collection point management committee, said to ease the burden, three market collection points were established, allowing farmers and entrepreneurs to store products free of charge before sale.
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“Before, we had to carry everything to the market ourselves. Now we can store products and wait for buyers. It has made selling much easier,” he said.
Mihir Chakma, project coordinator of PRLC-Project ALO, said indigenous women have long contributed to household livelihoods, but their work often remained invisible because it generated little direct income.
“When women gain access to skills, markets and income-generating opportunities, their role begins to change. They are no longer only supporting their families through unpaid work; they are becoming economic contributors and decision-makers in their households and communities,” he said.
Enrico Lorenzon, acting head of cooperation at the EU Delegation to Bangladesh, said women make important contributions to livelihoods across the CHT, including through subsistence farming, food processing, household activities and other forms of work that remain less visible in the formal economy.
He said practical interventions such as skills training, market access and financial inclusion are most effective when implemented together.
“Skills development alone is unlikely to generate sustainable livelihoods unless people can also access markets, finance and productive opportunities,” Lorenzon said.
“PRLC therefore brings together skills development, livelihood support, access to finance and stronger market linkages, helping women and marginalised groups translate skills and productive activities into more sustainable economic opportunities.”
