SDRS SOCIAL BUSINESS PROJECT

Under the Social Business Learning and Innovation Fund, Grameen Telecom Trust (GTT) has launched the very first social business project in Bangladesh. The project titled ‘SDRS Social Business Project’ focuses on increasing income of rural households mostly living in the chars (isolated river islands) by ensuring that rural women producers get the ‘best price’ from their produced items (Omani caps in the first phase) either from establishing local market linkage or from exports.

The project is based at Gaibandha district and implemented by SDRS, an NGO. SDRS sells the products locally through their established retail outlets and exports Omani caps and other items through export agents. By establishing both local and international market linkages, SDRS wants to ensure “best price” to its producers. Currently, approximately 250 producers are covered in this initiative. The next phase of the project is also underway, where additional 250 women producers are being trained to produce handicraft items such as nokshikantha, bed sheet, saree, salwar kameez and kurta set. The project design ensures market linkage of the new products. . A significant number of these women are pursuing their academics and supporting their studies through earnings of this program.