SBI General Insurance and Missing Link Trust announced their partnership on a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) project aimed at improving family livelihoods and generating jobs locally in the Kultali area of West Bengal’s Sundarbans. SBI General hopes to empower women and give them the means to support themselves through this CSR project.

The Sundarbans experience a notable decline in means of subsistence due to storms, economic hardship, and the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which exacerbates the difficulties encountered by the locals. As a result, SBI General Insurance and Missing Link Trust have joined together to start a groundbreaking initiative aimed at empowering women in the area.

As part of the CSR program, SBI General Insurance will set up training facilities for female employees and assist with the purchase and setup of 25 cutting-edge sewing machines in addition to other necessary supplies. It will be the skill and training of women to sew and tailor bags and other items made of cloth. They will also have a connection to the market to profitably sell bags. The project’s goal is to empower women by giving them the resources they need to turn sewing into a reliable source of income.

Speaking about the partnership, Mr. Kishore Kumar Poludasu, MD & CEO, of SBI General Insurance said, “We hope to support the economic advancement of women in the Sundarbans through our partnership with Missing Link Trust. By arming people with knowledge and tools, we hope to address the region’s more general problems of poverty, exploitation, and gender-based violence in addition to opening them to job prospects. We do not doubt that this project will result in the Kultali region of the Sundarbans becoming financially independent as well as inclusively growing its communities”.

The project is a major step in the direction of encouraging sustainable development and constructive change in the Sundarbans. As they work towards a future where women in Kultali can thrive and communities can break free from the cycle of misfortune, SBI General Insurance is proud to be a part of this effort.

Priyanka Dutta