A remarkable story of determination, innovation, and women’s empowerment has emerged from Kailashahar in Tripura. A local woman, Jumera Begum, has become an inspiration across the state after successfully building and selling handmade poultry hatchery machines, proving that women can be equally capable of becoming self-reliant and leading change in society.

Jumera Begum is the wife of Islam Ali, a marginal farmer and resident of Ward No. 3 of Gaurnagar Gram Panchayat in Kailashahar. Islam Ali earns a living by cultivating other people’s land, as he does not own farmland himself. Their family once lived in severe financial hardship.

A few years ago, on the advice of local social worker Namita Debnath, Jumera Begum joined the “Nurjahan” Self-Help Group (SHG) without fully understanding how such groups function or what benefits they could offer.

In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, when lockdowns left many daily wage earners without income, Islam Ali’s family faced extreme financial difficulty. While staying at home during this period, Jumera Begum began watching YouTube videos about poultry farming and egg-hatching techniques. She became fascinated by the idea of making a handmade hatchery (incubator) machine that could hatch eggs.

After watching several instructional videos for days, Jumera Begum attempted to build the machine herself. Eventually, with some assistance from her husband, she succeeded in creating a handmade hatchery machine capable of hatching around 300 eggs at once, producing chicks within 21 days.

The concept was effective and low-cost, but building each machine required ₹20,000–₹25,000, which the family could not afford.

Seeing her potential, Namita Debnath guided Jumera Begum to apply for a loan through the Gaurnagar SHG Village Federation. Soon after submitting the required documents, she received a loan of Rs 1 lakh.

With this financial support, Jumera Begum began producing more hatchery machines. With encouragement and assistance from the then BDO of Gaurnagar Block, Rameshwar Chakraborty, she managed to sell several machines in Panisagar, Damchhara, and Yubraj Nagar blocks.

From that point onward, there was no looking back.

Today, Jumera Begum is recognized as a successful and self-reliant entrepreneur. Her innovative hatchery machines have attracted attention not only across Tripura but also beyond the state.

Recently, when the Governor of Tripura visited the Unakoti tourist site and observed the activities of various Self-Help Groups, he was deeply impressed by the handmade hatchery machine developed by Jumera Begum. The Governor praised her work and encouraged her to contact the administration if she required any support.

Later, after returning to Agartala, the Governor discussed the project with officials from the Animal Resources Development Department and district authorities. Following these discussions, an order for 10 hatchery machines was placed.

On March 14, during a small program organized by the Gaurnagar SHG Village Federation at Jumera Begum’s residence, the machines were officially handed over.

The program was attended by several officials, including Nabarun Chakraborty, BDO of Gaurnagar Block, Dr. Tapan Ray, Officer of the Animal Resources Development Department, Namita Debnath, President of Gaurnagar SHG Village Federation, Chitra Sinha, Secretary of Abahan Cluster , Tushar Kanti Baul, TRLM Officer, Shanta Komal Chakma, Pratish Malakar, and others.

During the event, TRLM official Tushar Kanti Baul stated that Jumera Begum’s “Backyard Poultry Incubator Machine” has created significant interest in Tripura and beyond.

Today, Jumera Begum operates a hatchery unit at her home, and another unit named “Shubha Hatchery” in Gaurnagar Market, jointly managed with her husband Islam Ali.

Their journey from extreme poverty to entrepreneurship has earned them respect in society and allowed them to live with dignity.

Many people believe that Jumera Begum’s success will inspire other rural women to become self-reliant. At the same time, her journey also highlights the importance of support systems. Namita Debnath’s guidance and encouragement played a key role in helping her access financial support. Her husband Islam Ali’s constant encouragement also helped turn her idea into reality.

At the end of the program, members of the Gaurnagar SHG Village Federation also organized a farewell ceremony for BDO Nabarun Chakraborty, who has been transferred to Pecharthal Block as part of recent administrative reshuffling. He is expected to leave the block on March 20.

The farewell ceremony became an emotional moment as members of the federation expressed their gratitude for his contributions to local development initiatives.