Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) has come forward to support partners to set up shops at RMG factories to sell goods with comparatively lower prices to the workers and to mitigate the sufferings of garment workers amid spiraling prices of daily essentials.
Under the initiative, about 80,000 people (20,000 female workers and 60,000 of their family members) are likely to get benefits under the scheme.
They held a meeting titled ‘RMG Workers Access to Affordable Nutritious and Safe Food' at a hotel at Gulshan in the capital on Tuesday.
GAIN, a Switzerland-based international development organization, is planning to scale it up with the support of the government and partners in the future.
The meeting was organized with the participation of partner organizations and stakeholders to chalk out future strategy on technical assistance and how to make the initiative successful.
Mohammad Ehsan-E-Elahi, Secretary of Ministry of Labour and Employment, attended the event as the chief guest on Tuesday.
Moniruzzaman Bipul, Portfolio Lead of GAIN Bangladesh, gave welcome address, while GM Reza Sumon, Manager of Workforce Nutrition project of GAIN Bangladesh, presented the keynote paper.
Alain Reners, General Delegate, Auchan Foundation, attended as guest of honour.
Chaired by Dr Rudaba Khondker, Country Director of GAIN Bangladesh, Dr Hasan Shahriar Kabir, Director General of Bangladesh National Nutrition Council, Faruque Hassan, President of BGMEA, Mohammad Hatem, Executive President of BKMEA, Juliette Bataille, Project Manager of Auchan Foundation, among others, spoke at the event.
The program was informed that the project is aimed at ensuring access to nutritious foods for RMG workers with affordable prices and strengthening the food marketing management. It also aimed at working for ensuring nutritious and safe foods for RMG workers so that they can play more productive role for production in the RMG sector.
Chief guest Mohammad Ehsan-E-Elahi, in his address, lauded the initiative of supporting RMG workers, calling for the expansion of such facility to other factories across the country. He also emphasized on leaving no one behind.
Other speakers said: “It is imperative to give priority to the issue of safe and nutritious foods for the workers for implementing the government's Perspective Plan 2021-2041 and achieving SDGs.”
The speakers called upon those involved in production, processing, supply and marketing of foods to establish fair shops with nutritious foods at factory areas along with encouraging the workers to take such foods.
It may be mentioned here that several shops have so far been set up at two factories at Ashulia and Gazipur with the support of GAIN. RMG workers along with their family members are entitled to buy essentials from those shops with a special discount.
