Six more social business projects get green light
Six more social business projects get green light
Yunus Centre yesterday approved six more social business projects for investment as more and more young entrepreneurs are moving to create jobs for themselves and others.
They won the approval at the 41st Social Business Design Lab organised by the Centre at the Grameen Bank Bhaban in the capital.
The programme chaired by Nobel laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus and live streamed by the Centre brought together more than 130 participations from home and abroad.
Six new entrepreneurs, including three young women, from Grameen Bank families presented their business plans at the lab, Yunus Centre said in a statement.
The plans were: Ranju Art Publicity, which produces publicity materials ranging from visiting cards to banners; Hafsa Ladies Purse, which produces fancy ladies hand bags and purses; Tanbir Dairy Farm; Nahar Nakshi Work, a firm that produces embroidered quilts; Hashem Store, which produces candles and incense sticks; and Fashion Gallery, a retail store selling ladies clothing.
"These young have declined to be jobseekers, and instead have become job-givers, providing employment to not only themselves but also to others in their communities," Prof Yunus said at the event.
"This is an invaluable contribution to the national economy."
At the event, Grameen Telecom Trust signed two joint venture agreements with SDRS Solar Project and Red Worm Vermi Compost project for the launch of their social businesses.
Grameen Shakti Samajik Byabosha Ltd also signed agreements with nine projects of new entrepreneurs.
So far, 496 social business projects have been presented since the launch of the lab in January 2013. Of them, 471 have been approved for investment, most of which are already in operation. The vast majority of them are new entrepreneurs' projects, where young people running the businesses.