The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and its implementing partner Prottyashi inaugurated a new training and production centre for host communities in Cox's Bazar district, with support from the government of Japan.
Launched under IOM's nine-month "Livelihood Improvement for Everyone" (LIFE) project, the centre aims to contribute to the economic stability of host communities in Ukhiya and Teknaf upazilas (sub-districts), by boosting their skills and creating income generating activities, said IOM Bangladesh in a statement on Tuesday.
Fishing communities in the region have been heavily affected by the fishing ban on the Naf river, it added.
Along with these communities, the project targets vulnerable individuals, including youths, victims of trafficking, survivors of gender-based violence and people with disabilities.
This project also seeks to empower women through cooperatives and household-level livelihoods initiatives with potential to meet market demands. With the newly acquired knowledge, the participants will be encouraged to develop their own individuals or group enterprises through the start-up grants.
The newly launched centre in Hnila, in the Teknaf sub-district, is fully equipped with the tools and kits needed for participants to engage in training sessions on business development, craft making, embroidery, hand stitching and sewing, among others.
With the engagement of local private sector partner ShadeshPalli, the products created at the centre will be sold in shops and outlets across Cox's Bazar, Chattogram and Dhaka.
To ensure the sustainability of the intervention, the company will also provide technical support and market accessibility for all the participants.
Meetings, strategic workshops and field days will be organised to create a space for beneficiaries to seek and provide advice, and discuss market challenges and opportunities.
The products created will be displayed at different exhibition points in Cox's Bazar and eventually will be sold through an e-commerce platform.
"The LIFE project was developed to ensure that vulnerable host communities in Teknaf have the appropriate skills and entrepreneurial education needed to become legitimate entrepreneurs," said IOM Cox's Bazar Transition and Recovery Program Coordinator Patrick Charignon.
"Through the project, we can boost the creativity of these communities and give them the opportunity to be self-reliant," the IOM official added.
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