Read Time: 2 min.

Selina was the eldest of five children growing up in extreme poverty in Bangladesh. As her parents struggled to provide for their children’s essential needs, they could not afford the cost of sending Selina to school, so she was forced to drop out of school in eighth grade.

Right after dropping out of school, Selina was married off to a local farmer in her village. This is a common practice in areas of extreme poverty. In villages where gender bias is still the norm and girls are considered to be of lesser value than boys, many parents marry their daughters off at a very young age to gain relief from the “financial burden” of caring for them. But other parents marry their young daughters off out of desperation – hoping a new husband will be able to provide the girls with a better life.

Within a few years, Selina gave birth to a daughter and then a son. As her children grew up, Selina realized she needed to send them to school. As a local farmer, Selina’s husband struggled to bear the cost of providing for their family on his own. It wasn’t possible for him to pay for their two children to go to school.

That’s when Selina decided to join a local workshop of fair-trade Artisans, hoping to earn enough income to help their kids get an education. As Selina began weaving tapestries, she also began weaving a new story of hope for her family.

Trades of Hope is partnering with Artisans in Bangladesh to empower women to lead their families out of poverty.

Every purchase of Trades of Hope designs from Bangladesh provides skills training and jobs for women in areas of extreme poverty that help families thrive.