Marico partners with government to empower rural women
SWAPNO is a social transfer project for ultra-poor women that takes care of the local government’s public works program to engage them in different jobs.
The SWAPNO project has so far been implemented in 22 districts of Bangladesh, benefiting 64,980 people. Photo: Courtesy
“>
The SWAPNO project has so far been implemented in 22 districts of Bangladesh, benefiting 64,980 people. Photo: Courtesy
Marzina Begum only had Tk377 in her Almirah. She recounted the money, perhaps for the fourth time, but the amount remained the same.
She didn’t know where to spend the money: pay off the debt, shop for groceries, or pay her son’s school fees.
At that point, a recruitment announcement via a public address system brought her back to reality.
She heard that in her region, Lalmonirhat, the SWAPNO project (Strengthening the capacities of women for new productive opportunities) of the local government division was looking for employees for the maintenance of public goods. She immediately went to Union Parishad and enrolled in the local government’s public works program.
This project aims to improve the economic and social life of women in rural communities, as well as to eliminate poverty from their lives. Photo: Courtesy
“>
This project aims to improve the economic and social life of women in rural communities, as well as to eliminate poverty from their lives. Photo: Courtesy
SWAPNO is a social transfer project for ultra-poor women that takes care of the local government’s public works program to engage them in different jobs. It aims to improve the economic and social life of women in rural communities, as well as to eliminate poverty from their lives.
While promoting employment, it focuses on future employability and creates many employment opportunities for extremely poor rural women.
The partners of this “social transfer†project are Marico Bangladesh, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh and Sverige-Sweden, who primarily fund the project. The government, on the other hand, executes, and local NGOs help monitor the training and the program.
Photo: Courtesy
“>
Photo: Courtesy
It has so far been implemented in 22 districts of Bangladesh, benefiting 64,980 people.
“My husband passed away three years ago, leaving three children. If I avoid working in public, who will feed me during this pandemic? I tried to open a small grocery store at home, but I lacked the necessary capital. and started working for 200 Tk per day, â€says Marzina.
Since 2020, she hasn’t had to look back. For 15 months, she received 150 Tk in cash every day, 50 Tk going to ROSCA (Rotating Savings and Credit Associations), an informal savings mechanism of SWAPNO, as savings in her name. In a year and a half, she saved 18,300 Tk against her name.
With this money, she bought two goats and started raising them. Projects typically last 12-18 months, which translates into significant savings in the end.
She has also received training in leadership, women’s rights, health and nutrition.
“I did both – the training and the job. It gave me new life, my business and other women like me. There is a little corner in my grocery store now known as the SWAPNO corner, where other SWAPNO members and villagers sell their grown vegetables to me at wholesale prices, â€said Marzina confidently.
Photo: Courtesy
“>
Photo: Courtesy
Marico Bangladesh is proud to be connected to SWAPNO and to help grow people like Marzina. SWAPNO started as a pilot project in 2014, but because it has the potential to change the lives of rural women, Marico Bangladesh decided to join its main project in 2018.
“We joined because it fits with our ‘make a difference’ business philosophy,†said Christabel Randolph, Director of Legal and Corporate Affairs at Marico Bangladesh Limited.
Marico Bangladesh is one of the three fastest growing FMCG (Fast Growing Consumer Goods) companies in Bangladesh, with a multi-product brand portfolio spanning hair care, skin care, skincare categories. for babies, men’s care, hygiene and nutrition. It was established in 1999 as a subsidiary of Marico Limited.
“It’s part of our business ideology. When we run a CSR project, we focus on a specific area such as gender, education and community sustainability, and SWAPNO meets our criteria,” explained Christabel.