The Northern Areas Reduction-of- Poverty Initiative (NARI) project, supported by the World Bank, aims to economically empower poor and vulnerable women from the northwestern region by facilitating their access to jobs in the ready- made garment sector, reports BSS.
Under the project, the construction of dormitories and training centres in three designated sites in Dhaka, Karnaphuli, and Ishwardi Export Processing Zones (EPZ) has almost been completed.
The construction work is expected to be completed by June 2014 at all the sites. Civil works are progressing well and the quality of construction is being diligently maintained.
The World Bank has approved concessional IDA financing of US$29.29 million for this project. The project closing date has been extended to October 31, 2017.
The NARI project will offer training, transitional housing, counseling and facilitate formal employment in garment factories for around 11,000 women from five northern districts, namely Gaibandha, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari, and Rangpur.
An Information Education and Communication (IEC) campaign will be launched in the five target districts to consult and communicate with target populations, select the candidates and bring them to the relevant EPZ sites by August 2014 when the training is scheduled to start.
The transitional housing and training facilities will help poor women adjust to migrant life and to their new found employment. The training centres will accommodate cohorts of 300 trainees; the trainings will be for three months period and technical curriculum would include training in cutting, sewing, and quality control.
The trainees will also receive life skill training covering topics such as adjustment to city life, savings and remittances, safety and security, rights and responsibilities at the work-place, finding appropriate housing and contract negotiation and health among others.
A stipend will be provided to trainees, mainly to teach them financial management and food costs will be deducted from the stipends. The dormitories attached to the training centre will accommodate 600 women for a transitional period of six months at a time.
