ACI Ltd, Winrock International’s ‘Ashshash’ project pledges solidarity for trafficking survivors

ACI Limited and Winrock International's Ashshash project on Monday signed a pivotal 'Memorandum of Understanding' (MoU) that will extend support for skill-based employment opportunities and self-employment prospects for human trafficking survivors.

ACI Limited will be able to widen the coverage and geographical footprints of their products via adept sellers and distributors across Ashshash's key operational districts of Khulna, Satkhira, Jashore, Chattogram, and Cox's Bazar by employing the project's beneficiaries (survivors), said a press release.

Additionally, Ashshash's beneficiaries will also be able to increase the company's productivity and profitability with their skillset and training, said a press release.

In turn, ACI Limited will be able to facilitate the economic and financial empowerment of Ashshash's beneficiaries by developing their capacities as micro-entrepreneurs, providing guidance on business development, providing one-time in-kind support, and ensuring their sustainable wage-based employment.

  On this groundbreaking collaboration, Md Quamrul Hassan, Business Director of Salt and PC, ACI Consumer Brands, said that ACI Limited's core objective is to continually improve and empower the livelihood of vulnerable groups through sustainable employment and business-support.

ACI Limited actively aims to develop the capacity and competence of it's 'sellers' and 'distributors' to eventually help widen the coverage and geographical footprints of it's consumer products, he said.

Ashshash will provide a steady stream of skilled sellers, distributors, and workforces to expand the footprint of ACI products across it's key operational districts.

Md Quamrul Hassan, Business Director of Salt and PC of ACI Consumer Brands; Shahed Kamal, General Manager of sales development of ACI Consumer Brands; Md Amanullah Aman, Sales Manager of Institutions in ACI Consumer Brands; Dipta Rakshit, Team Leader of Ashshash of Winrock International; Md Omar Faruk, Training and Employment Manager of Ashshash of Winrock International; and Md Ashraful Islam, Private Sector Engagement Manager of Ashshash of Winrock International were present at the programme.

Winrock International's 'Ashshash' project is funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and implemented by Winrock International.

The project aims to combat human trafficking in all it's forms; by setting an inaugural goal to enroll 4,500 men and women under it's counselling and training processes, whilst engaging 250,000 individuals from various community-levels via awareness-raising activities.