<i>A new boutique of 80 poor women</i>

A new boutique, not of any major business house or entrepreneur but of 80 poor women from a remote Sundarbans village, was launched at the Baishakhi Mela at Baridhara DOHS Fair Ground in Dhaka yesterday.
The boutique set up a stall at the fair where its brand “Gaon Swapna” was inaugurated by Qubee Chief Executive Officer Jerry Mobbs and Management and Resources Development Initiative (MRDI) Executive Director Hasibur Rahman.
Giving the boutique, specialising on garments and home textiles, a flying start, Qubee bought 2,200 coasters to greet clients on the Bangla New Year, 1419.
“We are proud to support these empowered women who found an innovative way of creating goods from locally sourced materials,” said Mobbs.
The women are taking part in a six-month training on hand stitching, embroidery and product designing.
The training was organised by MRDI and Manusher Jonno Foundation (MJF) and financed by three financial institutions, Bank Al-Falah, Midas Financing and City Bank.
Hasibur said this example proves that good thing happen when rural women are helped.
Other companies will be encouraged to come forward to spend a part of their CSR funds to lift millions of such women out of poverty and give them a better life, he said.
MRDI has organised the same training for another 25 women of Jessore.
Hasibur said they are planning to set up a stall in the capital where these women can showcase and sell their products.
After the training, the women will take charge of the business and an association has already been formed in this regard.