Kokila Tangchangya, 33, resides in the Ramatia Tangchangya Para village under the Rajbila Union of Bandarban Hill District.
Like any other child, Kokila was born healthy and grew up normally. She attended school regularly and performed well in her studies. However, after completing her primary education, she began experiencing severe pain in her right leg, which shattered her dreams. Her parents sought help from various doctors and traditional healers, but after numerous examinations, a doctor diagnosed her with bone cancer. He advised immediate surgery to prevent the cancer from spreading throughout her body. Ultimately, she had no choice but to undergo amputation of her right leg.
Following the operation, Kokila faced significant physical and emotional challenges. She felt her life had lost meaning and was engulfed by frustration. However, her situation began to change when she learned about the Bandarban Disabled Peoples Organization (DPOD), which supports individuals with disabilities. She joined the Grassroots Disabled Peoples Organization for Development (GDPOD) under the Disabled Peoples Self-Initiative to Development in Bandarban (DPSDB), a project supported by the Manusher Jonno Foundation (MJF).
During group meetings, Kokila heard inspiring success stories from other disabled individuals, both locally and globally. Motivated by these stories, she decided to take action. The project provided her with an elbow crutch to assist her mobility. Additionally, she received training in income-generating activities (IGA) focused on poultry and completed a three-month tailoring course.
After successfully finishing her tailoring training, Kokila received a sewing machine and financial support from the project, allowing her to start a tailoring shop in her home. As her business grew, she expanded her shop to the local market, partnering with another disabled individual from her group, Kunchi Tanchangya, 31.
Today, Kokila employs two staff members in her tailoring shop, earning between BDT 15,000 and 18,000 per month. She is now self-sufficient, living with honor and dignity.
