he training workshop also facilitated artisans to learn about safe use of MFS to bring more efficiency and freedom in everyday transactions. bKash organised 163 such sessions across the country with Ayesha Abed Foundation to safeguard artisans’ hard-earned money, reads a press release.

The Ayesha Abed Foundation, has been disbursing wages of its artisans through bKash for quite a while. The artisans were sensitised so that they don’t fall victim of fraudulent activities and fraudsters can’t lure, intimidate or apply any trick to take away PIN of their MFS account or OTP received in phone. At the same time, the artisans were also briefed about how they can make their lives easy and efficient by using various financial services of bKash.

Ayesha Abed Foundation, the handicraft and artefact producer for the country’s top lifestyle brand Aarong, has been disbursing wages of more than 30,000 of its artisans spread across 14 districts in Bangladesh. The artisans, of which majority are women, have been receiving wages in their bKash accounts staying at home.

In 1982, the Ayesha Abed Foundation was established to honor the memory of late Mrs. Ayesha Abed, wife of late Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, founder of BRAC. Currently, the foundation has 15 centers and more than 875 sub-centers across the country.

The digital wage disbursement through bKash has made the wage management much easy and cost effective for the foundation. Besides, the artisans, getting their wages in bKash account, are able to enjoy variety of services of bKash including mobile recharge, utility bill payment, merchant payment, availing loan and savings products from banks and financial institutions through bKash. Above all, the artisans can cash out their wages at subsidized rate.