In a bid to eradicate hazardous child labour through non-formal education and skill development, the Ministry of Labour and Employment will disburse stipends to the risk-ridden children through Bkash.
In this regard, an agreement was signed between the Ministry of Labour and Employment and the country’s leading MFS provider, Bkash, at a city hotel on Monday, said a press release.
A monthly stipend of Tk1,000 will be provided to each of the 1 lakh children, and Tk13,000 will be given to 10,000 child labourers as seed money through Bkash.
Beneficiaries can cash out the stipend money without any cost from their guardian’s Bkash account.
112 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have been working as partners to implement this project.
Presided over by Labor and Employment Ministry’s Secretary Md Ehsan-E-Elahi, State Minister Begum Monnujan Sufian, MP, was present at the signing ceremony as the chief guest.
Md Monowar Hossain, project director of the Eradication of Hazardous Child Labour project, and Kamal Quadir, CEO of Bkash, signed the agreement on behalf of their respective sides.
Among others, Additional Secretary (Development Wing) Dr Selina Akhtar and senior officials were also present at the event.
Begum Monnujan Sufian, State Minister for Labour and Employment, said: "With the boon of digitalization efforts of the government, technology has advanced so much that now we get the message of receiving money through Bkash, sitting at home. The workers are also included in Bkash’s 60 million customer base. As a result of today's agreement with the Ministry of Labour and Employment, the stipends will reach the Bkash account of every student’s guardian directly. The entire process ensures transparency."
Md Ehsan-E-Elahi, Secretary of the Ministry of Labour and Employment, said: "With nearly 60 million customers, Bkash is at the forefront of delivering affordable financial services to the doorsteps of customers in the shortest possible time. Through today's project, Bkash will disburse Tk1000 to each of the one lakh children, and the beneficiaries will receive the money without the intervention of any middleman. In the future, we also hope to have the assistance of digitally advanced organizations like Bkash in many more projects."
Kamal Quadir, CEO of Bkash, said: "Children can flourish to their full potential if they get the right opportunity. The initiative taken by the Ministry of Labour and Employment to eliminate risky child labour can help build the future of Bangladesh. Bkash is committed to making this project successful by disbursing scholarships and stipends to the beneficiaries in the shortest possible time."
Aside from stipends and seed money, this project will provide six months of non-formal education and four months of skill development training for one lakh children, as well as raise awareness about the negative impact of child labour and develop a database and tracking system.