The 3rd Asia-Pacific CBR Congress

Name Farida Yesmin

Country Bangladesh

Organization Disabled Rehabilitation and Research Association(DRRA)

DRRA is a non-government organization in Bangladesh working for people with disabilities since 1996.. DRRA is practicin CBR model in Bangladesh with incorporating all components of CBR matrix followed by its Twin Track approach. At present, DRRA working more than 25 districts of Bangladesh. 42000 people with disabilities are directly involved with DRRA where most of them are children and women with disabilities.

Tittle “Sundary Honey” - A social business model of women with disabilities in Bangladesh

Background Satkhira is a district at south-western zone in Bangladesh that contains some portions of a World Natural Hheritage site, the great Sundarbans. Geographically this area is badly affected because of climate change as well as natural disaster. According to poverty map, this District of Bangladesh is also economically under the poverty line. But Disability percentage is 11.56% where national household survey percentage is 9.6%.

After the devastation of cyclone ‘Aila’ in these areas, people became workless due to huge water logging and salinity intrusion. Huge number of people migrated to other places in search of Job. But Alas! People with disabilities could not do that as their job market is not so open!

In this context, Disabled Rehabilitation and Research Association (DRRA) started work with local Disabled People Organization (DPOs) and conducted local resource mapping with Market analysis. Based on this, a strong recommendation has been made that big numbers of people can be employed in Honey collecting and Honey farming. In the first stage, 30 women with disabilities formed a group for start Honey business. A Honey processing Plant was set up by DRRA at Shyamnagar under Satkhira district in 2011. Women with disabilities are involved to the whole business of ‘Sundary Honey’ by leading the collection, processing and even marking Honey in local market. Aparajita, a DPO which is in a lead and complete their registration from government for management and marketing of this social business.

The good news is ‘Sundary Honey; will be available at Japan because JICA is helping for marketing of the honey and it is also certified by Japan’s's quality control authority for its quality. Women with disabilities are now empowered to do this business and the remarkable matter is they are enjoying to running the business by their own management.

Rationality Why Honey business:

To build capacity of women with disabilities on Honey harvesting and manufacturing
To create employment opportunity for the women with disabilities.
To enhance the utilisation of local resources.
To establish a market networking among the Disabled People Organizations(DPOs) and social business group

Approach /Model Social business model

The model address the unemployment issue at Satkhira as the area is socio economically vulnerable due to climate change and natural disasters (like AILA and SIDR). At first, DPO and DRRA arranged resource mapping with external support and finalised a few businesses where people with disabilities can be involved. Based on that DRRA organized market assessment and valuechain study to select top three businesses for that targeted community. But, finally all together agreed to start honey business as there is a large source of organic honey based in the ‘Sundarbans’, the biggest mangrove forest of in world. Moreover honey from the ‘Sundarbans’ is very famous throughout the world.

The direct beneficiaries were selected on the basis of DRRA's continuing support from past few years, adult age & family experiences on honey collection. Focus Group Discussions were also conducted with women with disabilities to identify and utilize of local resources. Skills development trainings were provided to selected women with disabilities on honey harvesting, processing and marketing. The honey factory was set up and achieved legal identity and quality certificate from Govt. of Bangladesh. Promotional activities were also arranged at local and national level by the people with disabilities. National television is used for broadcasting promos. The biggest chain shop of ‘ARONG’, a sister concern of BRAC also came forward to support because they found the quality of honey is indeed very good and also they agreed to promote the initiatives of the people with disability. In this picture you can see the low cost Hony in 10ml pack is lunching by Governer of Bangladesh central Bank.

At present, more than a 100 people with disabilities and their families including 70 women with disabilities and their families are involved with the process of production, processing, marketing, collection and honey bee harvesting. Now, their life has been changed as they are earning money form this business and they are crossed the poverty line to running a quite happy life with their family. DRRA established quality check unit for people with disabilities group because DPOs leaders made their slogan for their business “We are marketing our quality not sympathy”. After two years from the start, JICA representative directly communicated with DRRA and found the possibility to help this business. JICA linked with Excharge, a local business company is doing businesses with Bangladesh and Japan. They sent a honey sample to Japan and it is certified for its purity and good quality. Now women with disabilities are proud that their ‘SUNDARY HONEY’ exporting as first time from Bangladesh to Japan.

DRRA has signed a MoU with Japan Company for helping DPOs for market promotion and exporting the honey to Japan. Profit from the honey is now used for their business expansion and at the same time people with disabilities are earning by selling the raw honey locally.. In Bangladesh, it is the first that people get honey very easily as it is available in local market with 10gm small pack also with 250 and 500gm in bottle jar. Their monthly income is now more than 75$ monthly before they don’t have any earning.

Lesson Learn Learning from this Model

Women with disabilities can run their business if they get proper support like others
Need very good business assessment at local level along with financial support
Good marketing plan and branding support
Long term support for quality training and business plan
Need subsidy in business development time for 3/5 yearsl like other business models

Conclusion Like, ‘Sundary Honey model’, Greetings card or candle making is not only the choice for people with disabilities; it is also proven that they can run a factory and can develop a unique model also for others. In Bangladesh, usually we are importing honey from abroad like Australia, although we have good quality honey in our country. ‘Sundary Honey’ is an initiative of women with disabilities by which at first Bangladesh exporting honey to aboard which may help to open a new window for Bangladesh for exporting this sector. At the end, we can say, the initiatives of women with disabilities’ have opened our eyes. Other women with disabilities also changed their perception to see this initiative and now they are planning to expand their business to work with 6 different groups in Bangladesh for same businesses expansion.

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