I am working very hard to expand my vegetable garden. I took a lease on this land after receiving vegetable seeds, ducks, and training from the CRAAIN project. My wife, Shahnaz, and I are working tirelessly in the garden and managed to produce a good amount of vegetables we sell in the local market. I have two sons, and like me, my younger one, Rejaul, is physically challenged. Today, my life has changed. Due to my disability, I could not get any work done. Now I have my vegetable garden and can provide for my family with hard work.

A few years ago, when we had nothing, life was different. Buying food for home was always tricky with the bit of money we earned. We were deprived of nutritious food. We could hardly get rice and salt when we had no work. We could not grow anything in our yard because we had no savings to invest. We had no idea how to grow vegetables or live stocks. Our only way of surviving was relying on hard labor, which was also seasonal.

We suffer from various health problems because we cannot get nutritious food. Some days my wife only made cakes with wheat, and the whole family had to eat it. My wife could not get enough to eat during her pregnancy. I had no idea how we could change our lives. My wife spent all his days with me in the field, but we could not buy daily groceries.

Two years ago, our younger son Rejaul fell sick because I could not feed him nutritious food. It was very hard for me because our child's recovery took a long time. When CRAAIN started this project, our lives transformed. Every family I know gets benefits from the training and, afterward, their hard work. Since we started growing vegetables in our yard, farming fish, and rearing livestock, we can provide for our children. After selling vegetables in the market, I can keep vegetables for my family for our daily meals, which was never possible before.

Seeing how other families in my village are doing good like us and can provide for their minor children feels satisfying. My wife's health has improved, and I am doing much better. I do not have to work tirelessly in the field all day as a laborer. If I feel unwell, I can rest and always take a break. We are now saving to build a new house. I want to save something for my disabled son and provide support to educate my elder son.

Baherhat, Bangladesh