Tauhid is a social entrepreneur. As proprietor of Classical Handmade Products (CHP), he tackles poverty for more than eight years. Tauhid has graduated from BUFT, where he studied patterns and design with a focus on product development. He then worked for a renowned Dutch company where he acquired skills in international trade. In 2007, he began a pilot project about rug making and 'KiK Textilien und Non-Food GmbH' directly found his rugs to be “a self-selling product” due to their quality and price. The first order was shipped to Germany in July 2008.
Rapidly Tauhid made a choice to bring the work to the communities rather than installing his production in the capital city. With the help of CARE, he started to recruit job seekers from marginalized indigenous communities. For his first interview, he asked a woman what she ate for breakfast. After some hesitations, she replied her family only had one cabbage for all day, mixed with rice and salt. She had scars on her face from breaking stones for roads in the sun. Tauhid offered her a job working at a loom, out of the sun, with a safe revenue and good working conditions. This opportunity transformed her life.
Since that time, Tauhid has learned more and more about his employees. He treats them with respect and gives them opportunities. Several women have been promoted into supervisory roles, and they make women employees more comfortable discussing their needs, such as applying for maternity leave. At the production units, compliance controls ensure that the conditions under which they work provide adequate ventilation, good light and clean water. Tauhid provides his employees with medical check-ups and disposable sanitary pads. Why is this important?
The work opportunity offered by CHP has an incredible positive impact on women’s life and gives them a respectable status in their community. Their entrepreneurial spirit is boosted: some have already used their income to start other businesses like buying a farm, others are using it to set up opportunities for their family. One 43-year-old woman approached Tauhid with pride when she had been able to send her child to college. This is why KIK remains very pleased with the collaboration, and has even extended its involvement to health care for women. Various NGO’s like VSO and CARE have offered or even continue to offer their support in pursuing Tauhid's actions and contributing to increased income & better employment in Bangladesh.
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