Finding work and making a sustainable income can be tough in the city of Faridpur, Bangladesh. Liakat Hossain struggled to find a job, so he decided to start his own business growing and selling flowers.
Like many horticulturists, Liakat used chemical fertilisers at first, but then he heard about a Practical Action ‘co-composting’ trial in Faridpur. It was clear to him that this sustainable compost – made from faecal sludge and kitchen waste – could make a big difference to his business. It was a real lightbulb moment.
“I learned that co-compost is especially good for growing flowers. I met with Practical Action staff and found out the best way to use their compost to improve my harvest. I have worked very hard to make my farm work and I’m proud of how well it’s doing.”
Liakat found that the quality of his flower yields was greatly improved when he began using co-compost.
“Before using co-compost, the lifespan of my plants was two or three years. Now, it has increased to five-to-eight years.”