From 25 paisa a job to 10 taka: forty years that put a son through a master's
A job once paid 25 paisa to 2 taka; forty years on, his minimum is 10 taka. On that he put his son through a master's and educated and married off his daughters.
This cobbler has stitched and dyed shoes and sandals at Jalalpur (Bakshipara) market in Pabna Sadar for forty years. When he began, a job paid between 25 paisa and 2 taka; his minimum now is 10 taka. On that income alone he put his son through a master's degree and educated and married off his daughters. Customers at the market say his stitching is careful and lasts a long time. About a decade ago, he says, people started looking at the trade differently. The rate per job has barely moved in forty years: this work grows by volume and by reputation, not by price.
Lessons
- 1.A very low price per job can still add up to a living if the work is steady and the household keeps its costs down
- 2.Forty years moved the rate to just 10 taka: in this trade income grows through volume and reputation, not rates
We published this with the person's permission, without revealing who they are.
Discussion
Nobody has written anything yet. You can be the first.