Fifty-year-old Sundari Bala, displaced by the erosion of the mighty Teesta river years ago, has chosen something different to earn her livelihood, which others do not try often or even think about.

The woman, widow of late Boisharu Chandra of Gangachara upazila in Rangpur, has been feeding a three-member family with her daily income of Tk 120 to Tk 130 by selling grass for the last 15 years.

Sundari, who had been living with her two children in a tiny thatched house on the river embankment at Paikan village in upazila for the last 15 years, lost her husband abut five years back.

Sundari, also mother of eight, said “I feed my two minor children by selling grass. As for me, it is better to stay starving than begging.”

She said six of her children are married and living separately.

Sundari said after having some soaked rice (Panta Bhat) with onion and salt, she goes out of her house around 7:00am everyday and roams from one char to another for collecting grass.

After collecting sufficient grass, she returns home, sorts them out and later takes the cattle fodder to adjacent Boraibari Bazar for sale, she said.

“I feel a bit worried in winter season as the whole nature suffers from scarcity of grass during that time”, she said.

“She did not get any support under the government's different social schemes” said

Chairman Aftabuzzaman of Alambiditar Union Parishad (UP), said he will bring her under such a programme if she contacts him.