Visit of German Embassy

Bangladesh is a new post for Florian Höller, having arrived in Dhaka in June 2022. Huzurikanda was his first trip up North. After arrival and introductions to the staff, Lenen Rahaman showed him around the countryside, with yellow mustard and green rice fields that all will be flooded when the monsoon arrives.

Mr. Höller showed special interest in the living conditions of the farmers and the subject of micro loans and entrepreneurship. He visited two villages and asked the women how their living conditions have changed due to Mati’s cooperative program. He was surprised how clear the women formulated their situation, namely due to the loans they have the opportunity to start a small business or even become entrepreneurs themselves. So yes, the living conditions have changed for the better, the children can go to school, the loans repaid. When asked how many to the women can read, approx. half of the hands went up – but they with stated with a smile, we all can count, and read our passbook.

Florian Höller was also shown the carpenters’ vocational center, the rice bank and the medical and eye vision centers at the Mati compound. He was impressed with the Mati initiative and stated that a later meeting that day with the Asian Development Bank he would be able to report first-hand about this initiative.

After this first visit, Florian Höller and Lenen Rahaman agreed to meet soon again to discuss further steps, a meeting take took place on February 6, 2023.

Also read: The farmers’ Cooperative Program