Dr. Rak Vorrakitpokatorn, President of Export-Import Bank of Thailand (EXIM Thailand), Mr. Richard Bernhard, Executive Director of Kenan Foundation Asia, and Miss Soraya Rittiaram, Director of Central Women's Correctional Institution, jointly announced the success of "EXIM Strengthening Vulnerable Women Entrepreneurs" project. The Project, a collaboration between the three institutions, aims to enhance the knowledge and capabilities of female entrepreneurs in vulnerable groups, enabling them to operate their businesses effectively. They would learn how to develop unique products, digitize their marketing, and sell products online, opening up fresh business opportunities and global expansion possibilities. This would empower female entrepreneurs to become self-reliant and earn enough income to support their families, leading to the better and stronger communities and society.
On this occasion, EXIM Thailand President and Executive Director of Kenan Foundation Asia jointly signed Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with EXIM Thailand's customers, i.e. Mr. Jukr Boon-Long, Chairman of Wastech Exponential Co., Ltd., Mr. Jormsup Lochaya, Chief Executive Officer of Super Energy Corporation Plc., Mr. Varut Tummavaranukub, Chief Executive Officer of Sermsang Power Corporation Plc., Mr. Kamolsut Dabbaransi, Senior Executive Vice President Head of Food & Beverage of Thoresen Thai Agencies Plc., and Mr. Amorn Sapthaweekul, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Energy Absolute Plc. The signing was witnessed by Mr. Piyabutr Cholvijarn, Chairman of Performance Agreement Sub-Committee (SubPAC) for State-owned Financial Institutions and Miss Soraya Rittiaram, Director of Central Women's Correctional Institution at EXIM Thailand's Head Office on September 4, 2023. Under the MOU, the parties will integrate their cooperation in supporting the products of vulnerable female entrepreneurs, encouraging product development and expanding to overseas markets to a greater extent.
Dr. Rak Vorrakitpokatorn, EXIM Thailand President, said that EXIM Thailand under its role as Thailand Development Bank is committed to driving national development from the grassroots in economic, social and environmental dimensions. The Bank has all along incorporated social and environmental concerns into its business operation process (CSR in process) in conjunction with financial management according to the environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria as well as the 4P principles, that is, caring for the 'People' and the 'Planet' while giving priority to 'Productivity' in order to bring 'Profit' in both monetary and non-monetary forms reflected through multi-faceted indicators. Hence, the EXIM Strengthening Vulnerable Women Entrepreneurs project was launched as part of its mission to take care of the surrounding communities with focus on supporting social diversity in respect of gender, age, social vulnerability covering the disabled and vulnerable women so that they would have better quality of life and greater access to knowledge, business opportunities and financial sources to ensure their life affordability and capability to support themselves and their families.
EXIM Thailand has from time to time joined hands with alliance agencies in visiting female entrepreneurs in the communities surrounding its Head Office, particularly those in Phayathai District and Chatuchak District, Bangkok, as well as interested women from Central Women's Correctional Institution to provide them with knowledge on business start-up, product development and expansion of online and offline distribution channels, along with application of digital tools for market expansion and exports via such platforms as Facebook and Shopee. Furthermore, the Bank has synergized with its customers in enhancing the project by making available additional distribution channels for the products of these entrepreneurs aiming to boost their morale and stimulate the development of products and services for higher competitiveness in the global trade of the new era.
Mr. Richard Bernhard, Executive Director of Kenan Foundation Asia, said that Kenan Foundation Asia is a non-profit organization having been involved in Thailand's social development for the past 27 years and being committed to empowering vulnerable people with knowledge, skills and expertise through more than 1,000 projects in Thailand, Vietnam and elsewhere in Southeast Asia with funding from public, private and multilateral sectors. Kenan has over the past years shifted its focus to a combination of online and offline approaches through various digital platforms. At present, it is the sole provider of Meta Boost Facebook certified training course in Thailand, thus being well positioned to expand collaboration with public and private organizations including EXIM Thailand in building opportunities for Thai entrepreneurs, particularly SMEs and socially vulnerable entrepreneurs with limited capital, to increasingly distribute their products to global markets with the use of simple digital tools like smartphones or tablets. This aims to uplift the quality of life for people in society and pave the way toward stronger communities and a society with balanced and sustainable growth.
Miss Soraya Rittiaram, Director of Central Women's Correctional Institution, said that female inmates lack opportunities to access knowledge and information for their skill development to support their occupation, particularly as self-employed individuals upon the end of their imprisonment. The project under collaboration with EXIM Thailand and Kenan Foundation Asia would well respond to these vulnerable inmates' needs for development of their potential amid the global trade of the digital era. The Central Women's Correctional Institution has so far selected and enrolled more than 50 inmates for the training under this project, the results of which have been very satisfactory. They have been significantly improved in terms of behaviors, discipline and occupational skills. For example, they are able to create popular handicraft products like smog bags or pleated specific designs. Representatives of exporters have also provided recommendations on how to further develop smog bags for export markets.
Source: EXIM Thailand
