Prokritee

Bangladesh

Women of Keya Palm Enterprise

Purpose

MCCset upenterprises in 1975 to create jobsin small cottage industries in rural areas. Their objectives (and now Prokritee's) are:

to create, promote and assist income-generating projects that are operated and managed to benefit producers, adhere to good safety and environmental standards and are, or have the potential to become, self-reliant
to hire women employees who are heads of households, have little if any income, are landless with few or no assets and are primarily rural
to provide training to increase the skills of personnel within income-generating enterprises.

Producers

It is estimated that Prokritee supports 700 producers, 95% of whom are women living in villages. The Job Creation Enterprises that were set up to employ women principally making paper products, but also hemp twine,palm leaf products and baskets, provided training and employment for women who were chosen on a needs basis.

Benefits

There are many benefits for producers. As well as creating jobs within the business enterprises:

that pay fair wages
respect the dignity of the producer
have health benefits
are safe
increase the producers' level of income
provide an opportunity for the producer to become more economically self-reliant.

The producers have opportunities for training in all areas of:

job skills' improvement
quality control
savings and investment
health and safety
legal rights
business skills
social awareness.

Savings' programmes are set up at each enterprise. and adult literacy training is available as is training in leadership development and group management.

Fair prices that provide a living wage in the village are paid, although in many cases the wage supplements the family income. Many women report that they earn more than their husbands. Savings schemes are an important feature in all enterprises, and these enable the women to pay for their children's education and improvements to their houses. Cash bonuses are paid from profits.

Although wages are not high, most women have the opportunity to have regular work all the year round

Many of the women have been able to invest in land, have improved their houses plus they enjoy better health and an enhanced position in their local community.