Aungshee Display and Sales Center
| Coverage |
Chandgaon, Chittagong and Sitakund's Ladies' Market |
| Duration |
Since 2004 |
Situation
Under the Micro-Enterprise and Development Program (MEDP), YPSA established two display and sales centers to assist grassroots' entrepreneurs in marketing their products. Through experience Aungshee observed that the main obstacle to successful entrepreneurship was marketing. Aungshee seeks to ensure the economic stability of vulnerable people, especially ones who want to compete as small enterprise.
Grassroots' entrepreneurs are at a disadvantage because they cannot afford to go to university and learn how to market their products or how to compete with major entrepreneurs. The display centers give poor business owners a chance to sell their products and make a fair profit. Aungshee believes credit alone cannot ensure the permanent and positive economical change of poor people. The display centers assist disadvantaged entrepreneurs, such as rural women, as much as possible.
Initiative
Aungshee assists grassroots' entrepreneurs through increasing the demand and quality of their product by:
- Ensuring proper price of product along with product publicity
- Displaying and selling products of grassroots entrepreneurs
- Selling products to the local population in Chittagong
- Exposing entrepreneurs to different markets by participating in fair trade abroad (i.e., Gouhati-India) and within the country (i.e., Dhaka Trade Center )
Outcomes
Aungshee Display and Sales Center has received positive reactions about the products from their customers. They currently sell products from people with disabilities, and rural women. They have also managed to create a network with different development organizations.
Aungshee intends to catch foreign markets though exporting their merchandise. They have also agreed to support and sell the merchandise of YPSA's other projects, such as women from the Participatory and Savings Credit program, as well as the HIV/AIDS projects.
Supporting Organizations
Women Empowerment through Employment and Health (WEEH ) , the International Labour Organization (ILO) , Action Aid Bangladesh , and YPSA |
