Eco-friendly Handicrafts and Toy Production within the Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus in Cox's Bazar'-Contributing towards skills and incomes for Rohingya refugees and host community artisans in the Cox's Bazar district

The "Eco-friendly Handicrafts and Toys Production" pilot project, spanning six months, establishes community-based production facilities in Cox's Bazar, provides skills trainings and facilitates access to markets, benefiting both Rohingya refugees and host communities. The project trains and develops skills of 400 artisans, mainly women (50% from camps, 50% from host communities), in an innovative value chain approach for production of eco-friendly toys, handicrafts souvenirs. The approach affords different tasks along the value chain to Rohingya refugees in camps and host community members in a manner that is expected to strengthen intercommunal tolerance, empathy and social cohesion, while creating economic opportunities for women with underutilized artisanal skills. Key project activities include skills development, operationalisation of quality control system and setting up production and distribution centres, branding and the creation of linkages with relevant market actors, including in the tourism sector. The initiative promotes efficient market systems, economic participation and improved financial literacy of beneficiaries, to strengthen their ability to manage income, save, and continuously invest in their businesses. Sustainability is further encouraged by close partnership with a local Bangladeshi private company to support implementation and co-invest in the pilot, thereby contributing to market-based, localized solutions towards enhanced skills, sustainable incomes and strengthened self-reliance and resilience among target beneficiaries. The project aligns with RAF priorities of fostering climate-resilient livelihoods and food systems and conflict prevention, peacebuilding, gender and social cohesion.

Project symbol

BGD/25/03/IOM

Admin unit

CO-Dhaka
PARDEV

Start date

01/10/2025

End date

31/05/2026

Total allocation

342643

Total expenditure

Status

Active

289831

Development Partners

International Organization for Migration

Country/Countries

Bangladesh

Outcomes

Outcome 1: Strong, modernized normative action for social justice