Stories
Marjina Khatun, 55-year-old, from Ranigram in Pabna Sadar Upazila, has transformed from a domestic worker to a successful entrepreneur. Four years ago, she was cleaning other people’s homes, struggling to make ends meet. Today, she has converted waste into resource by fish scale business and created jobs in her community. Now, her family is financially self-sufficient.
With great enthusiasm, Marjina shares her journey. While she worked as a domestic worker, her husband and disabled son managed a small fish business in the local market. However, their financial situation remained dire. In 2022, the RMTP project selected her as a beneficiary, providing essential training in fish scale collection, processing, and marketing. Additionally, she received a cash grant of BDT 125,000 from RMTP through PKSFs implementing partner, Program for Community Development (PCD).
With these funds, Marjina established a processing room, a wooden drying floor, and a hygienic workspace, ensuring a strong foundation for her business. The project also connected her with dealers who purchase processed scales directly from home, significantly reducing transportation costs. The processed scales are sold to third-party suppliers who provide manufacturers in China with raw materials for fish feed and pharmaceutical capsules.
Marjina actively collects fish scales from local traders and employs two women to assist her in the processing work. She sources scales from fish markets, neighbours, and hotels, ensuring a steady supply. The process involves carefully removing spikes, sun-drying the scales, and storing them for up to two months. She buys 50 kg of wet scales for BDT 1,000-1,200, which turn into 40 kg of dried scales and sell for BDT 2,500-3,500. Each month, she processes about 600 kg, spending Tk 15,000 and earning a profit of around Tk 33,750.
Marjina is grateful to the project for expand her business. She supports her three daughters and one son. Her goal is to empower her daughters to be self-sufficient. Through her journey, Marjina has gained confidence, improved her decision-making, and become a financial leader in her family.
