World Bank South Asia VP visits footwear cluster  

World Bank Vice President for South Asia Region Hartwig Schafer visited the footwear microenterprises cluster at Bhairab in Kishoreganj.

During the visit, he was accompanied by Managing Director Dr Nomita Halder, World Bank Country Director Mercy Miyang Tembon, Additional Managing Director of PKSF Fazlul Kader, and other representatives from the government, The World Bank and project-implementing partner organization of PKSF, according to a press release on Wednesday.

Under the Sustainable Enterprise Project (SEP), co-financed by The World Bank, Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF) is supporting the footwear-producing microenterprise.

While giving the opening remarks, PKSF Managing Director Nomita Halder said that in addition to inclusive financing, capacity building, technology transfer, value chain development and other technical services are being provided to help the low-income people to get out of the vicious cycle of low productivity.

Additional Managing Director of PKSF Fazlul Kader presented on the SEP’s interventions with particular focus on the footwear-producing cluster.

“Additionally, in all its project areas, PKSF ensures a safe environment for the female workers like what is done in the SEP,” she said.

During the visit, Schafer expressed satisfaction at the SEP’s role in sustainable expansion of the footwear-manufacturing microenterprises.

“It is great to see what can be done when you empower communities and when you start small,” he said.

Appreciating the effort and enthusiasm of the female micro-entrepreneurs World Bank country director Mercy Miyang Tembon said that she was very happy to meet the women who are not only working for themselves but also employing other women.

Other members of the visiting delegation included Zahir Uddin Ahmed, project coordinator, sep & deputy general manager, PKSF; Murshed Alam Sarker, executive director, People's Oriented Program Implementation (POPI); Eun Joo Allison Yi, senior environmental specialist, SSAEN and TTL, SEP; Christian Berger, senior agriculture economist, SSAA1, TTL MFSFP; Jacob Finnemann Viuff, security specialist, GCSGO.