Along with a sewing machine, each woman also received two tree saplings as part of an environmental conservation message.
The programme was carried out with support from Bashundhara Group as part of its ongoing sewing training and machine distribution activities in different parts of Bangladesh.
The initiative started in Lama upazila and was later extended to Alikadam, Bandarban Sadar, Rowangchhari and Ruma. Twenty women from each of the five upazilas received the assistance.
The final distribution programme was held recently at Munlai Para Cultural Centre in Ruma. Representatives of Bashundhara Shuvosangho travelled through remote hilly areas to hand over sewing machines to 20 women from indigenous and Bengali communities.
Ruma Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Manas Barua, Upazila Women Affairs Officer Md Zaved Raujhan, Ruma Agrabangsha Orphanage Director Naindia Ther, local para chiefs and BNP leaders attended the programme.
Education and employment opportunities remain limited in many remote areas of Ruma. Despite financial hardship, many women continue their education while contributing to their families.
For some recipients, the sewing machines are expected to provide an opportunity to earn from home.
Naiuching Marma, who grew up at Ruma Agrabangsha Orphanage after losing her parents at an early age, said receiving the machine had increased her confidence to become financially independent.
“I grew up in the orphanage from an early age. The sewing machine has given me greater confidence to stand on my own feet,” she said.
Chamaya Mro, another recipient, also faces financial hardship. Her father Menoyang Mro has died, while her mother is mentally ill. Chamaya and her sister support the family through jhum cultivation, while she continues her honours studies at Bandarban Government College.
She said the sewing machine would help her earn money while continuing her education.
“This will create a new source of income for me and help me continue my studies,” she said.
Ruma police chief Manas Barua described the distribution of sewing machines as a support programme for women in remote areas. He said it could help recipients create self employment opportunities and contribute to their families' finances.
Upazila Women Affairs Officer Md Zaved Raujhan said the training and machines were helping women develop skills and create opportunities for employment and income.
Naindia Ther, director of Ruma Agrabangsha Orphanage, said such training and support could help women and adolescent girls in remote communities develop skills and contribute to their families' income.
Bashundhara Shuvosangho said more than 3,000 women across different parts of Bangladesh have so far received training and sewing machines through its programmes.
The Bandarban initiative is part of the organisation's wider programme to provide skills training and sewing machines to women facing financial hardship.
