M/S Shama is a Bangladeshi business that was created in 2006, inspired purely by nature. The primary goal was to reinstate the lost glory of Jute and establish it as an environment-friendly and sustainable product in the world market.
The primary vision of my business related to the agenda is based on two cornerstones: empowering women, and working with sustainable local resources. Our vision is to empower women in our country through capacity building, mentoring, and sustainable livelihood options. This will take us one step closer to lifting the most vulnerable out of poverty who often do not have a voice in society. This will contribute to the People and Prosperity goals. When these women have the necessary means of employment or income, they achieve financial freedom and are empowered socially with an active voice in their families and society, bringing Peace to the People. The vision of working with sustainable resources such as Jute is for protecting our planet. Through the use of local products and local people with an emphasis towards “Green Entrepreneurship” where the production process, the business practices and the goods produced and sold all belong in an ecosystem that is clean, environment friendly and protects the Planet. Our manufacturing business thus helps to create a resilient infrastructure for employment & livelihoods, sustainable & responsible production, leading to Prosperity for everyone.

We directly support local craftsman by providing job opportunities for women who often face significant barriers to employment, social stigmas (religion, patriarchy, etc.), access to finance, and economic participation in Bangladesh. We are constantly focusing on women workforce participation and livelihood promotion, by employing more than 9 women in our jute factory and approximately 250 women artisans, mostly in the field. The work inherently involves interacting and engaging local artisans who are experts in the craft and require the forward market linkages to prosper. Through work, interactions and training we are able to develop an inclusive workforce and motivate rural small-scale producers and build their capacity to meet market demand in terms of quality and quantity. Our artisans are now able to do transact via banks and through mobile wallets, allowing them to be financially literate and inclusive. It is also a matter pride for them when their handmade products are reaching the national and international customer audience. The augmented income opportunity and the work itself enable them to strengthen their situation, financially and socially, allowing them to be more confident and empowered in their families and their society. we have also trained over 2000 women, helping them towards economic independence under a Jute Value Chain project partnership with Care Bangladesh.