For a high school graduate who was compelled to work as a day labourer in a remote area just five months ago to meet his family’s expenses, working at one of the luxurious hotels in Dhaka city was beyond Rezaul Karim Rifat’s most daring imagination.
But thanks to Borak Polytechnic Institute (BPI), a social business venture of Unique Group, Rifat is now indeed working for The Westin Dhaka, one of the upscale hotels sought by most customers in the capital.
But he is currently posted as a caterer at the EBL Skylounge, where The Westin supplies food, at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.
The second child from a fisherman’s family in Patuakhali, Rifat started working as a construction day labourer with his elder brother soon after completing Secondary School Certificate exams. While he was working, he also continued his study.
After passing the HSC exams, he continued to work as a day labourer. But his luck took a turn for the better earlier this year when he got the chance to receive training from BPI.
After completing an internship at The Westin, he was selected by the five-star hotel’s management to work at their lounge in the airport.
Rifat, however, is not the only fortunate one. Like him, 25 other trainees from underprivileged groups took a three-month Food and Beverage Training at BPI in February.
After completing the training and internship, Rifat and several other trainees started their careers at Sheraton Dhaka and The Westin.
The rest are currently undergoing internships in various five-star hotels around the capital to become more qualified and compatible. BPI expects that after the completion of the internship, employment opportunities for them will be created at those respective hotels.
These trainees are receiving the livelihood development facilities under a World Bank-funded government project, named, “Sustainable Coastal and Marine Fisheries Project” that started in October 2018 under the Directorate of Fisheries.
The project’s goal is to provide skill development training to 18,000 fishermen and unemployed people in 450 fishing villages under 45 upazilas of 13 coastal districts of the country.
According to project officials, about 50 per cent of this target has already been achieved.
The Social Development Foundation, a Finance Division organisation under the Finance Ministry, is the project’s associate implementing body.
The government aims to increase coastal and marine fisheries’ contribution to the economy through a series of management and sector reforms to enable wider community participation through the project.
The project also focuses on activities for sustainable fisheries investment and growth and is also facilitating community empowerment and livelihood transformation.
