Bangladesh is currently hosting almost 1.2 million registered Rohingya refugees, more than half of them are women. The Bangladeshi government and NGO’s has taken some small but important steps to empower the Rohingya women.
“Soap Center” is one of them.
The Soap Center was established by Technical Assistant Inc. (TAI) with the fund of UNHCR in 2006 who is currently on its 38th batch. The working period of each batch is 4 months and mostly they hire widows. After completing the duration the authority hire yet another batch consisting of 21 women who work in two shifts from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Work span of each shift is 4 hours a day. Approximately, 500 women are employed in that laundry soap factory. The soaps which are been produced are distributed to refugee families according to their need. This year in May, the factory produced 11,000 packets with 8 pieces of soaps in each pack. At present, apart from Nayapara soap factory, there is another one at Ukhiya, Kutupalong Refugee camp.
A Rohingya woman resident of Nayapara camp recently starts working at “Soap Center” a laundry soap factory located at E-block near Women Center, Nayapara Camp, Cox’s Bazar said, “With an incentive of 3,500tk per month, I am now solvent and happy.” She then continued, “I am a Rohingya woman. My husband is no more and my family completely depends on me. I joined Soap Center in December 2018. Now I have acquired full knowledge of soap making and I can make soaps up to 40 pieces per hour.”
After the 4-month contract is over, the Rohingya women become jobless.
Another woman Nur Bibi, from Nayapara camp said,” I want to learn more skills and work. I want to earn my own living. I wish there were more soap factories. I wish also there are centres for tailoring, weaving and midwifery to teach and facilitate us.”
Some Rohingya women that are desperate to earn their living for surviving, even join as road workers.
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