Winrock project, SR Asia sign MoU

Winrock International's Ashshash Project, supported by the Embassy of Switzerland in Bangladesh; and Social Responsibility Asia (SR Asia), Bangladesh signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) at the project's office today.

The initiative came to affirm the mobilisation of resources, exhibit advanced CSR practices, and enable sensitisation on trafficking-in-persons (TIP) issues among public and private sector organisations, said a press release.

This collaboration solidifies the process of mobilising CSR resources to successfully enable the socio-economic reintegration of TIP survivors through a sustainable approach.

Mobilising such resources in an effective manner will act as a quick form of relief to resuscitate the severely pandemic-afflicted marginalised population.

Furthermore, there remains substantial scope to improve CSR practices beyond performative gestures through policy advocacies, dialogue sessions, and multi-level stakeholder engagement, in order to achieve sustainability.

The partnership will also seek exploration of the opportunity to forge value-chain linkages and linkages with various financial institutions for grass-root entrepreneurs, and for the development of entrepreneurship development programming.

The project will also collaboratively promote the significance of ethical and human rights friendly business practices through a variety of CSR campaigns with industry leaders, trade associations, policy-makers, etc.

Dipta Rakshit, team leader, Ashshash, Winrock International; and Sumaya Rashid, country director (Bangladesh), SR Asia, signed the MoU on behalf of the respective organizations.

Omar Faruk, training and employment manager; Ashraful Islam, private sector engagement manager; and Masnoon Md Fairuz Haque, communications officer, attended the ceremony on behalf of Ashshash project, Winrock International. Md Shakhawat Hossain, programme manager; and Shajedur Rahman, financial adviser, were present from SR Asia.