A SOCIAL BUSINESS BOND

She had the regular busy bee outlook of an aspiring Japanese young lady. But she held off her years of career planning and ambitions, and coped with the challenge of living 3000 miles away from her home and family. Akari Yuki did all that because she fell in love with Bangladesh, its people, and most of all, the idea of helping people through social business. Many people from around the world live or work in Bangladesh because they have to. But Akari is someone who actually chose to. 

Grameen Uniqlo, the organisation Akari works for in Bangladesh, is a CSR venture of Uniqlo - a reputed name alongside top marques like GAP.  As a social business company, Grameen Uniqlo goes beyond job creation or poverty alleviation. It goes down the line on issues like public health, education, gender discrimination and environment. To be part of the haul, Akari has been in Bangladesh since 2012 as the Director of Merchandising and Planning, of the company. 

Kyushu, where Akari comes from, is one of the four islands of Japan. After graduating from an esteemed university, she started her career in 2010 with Uniqlo, Japan. That was a smooth start for someone envisioning a career in the casual-wear industry. Just twenty years old at the time, Akari was working hard to move her career upward en route the most promising path. 

“I learned Chinese for a year” she giggled. “I was thoroughly determined after an exciting career in China. A career in the booming economy came up bold on my radar screen”. But career prospects came second to following her heart as things took a drastic turn when she went to Nepal in 2012 as part of her company's relief project with UNHCR.

She came to meet a few Bangladeshis there and also got to read up on the country. It wasn't the first orientation, though.  She actually visited Bangladesh in 2009 during a vacation. What won her heart then was the pure kindness of the people. She felt an unexplainable bond and affinity for this country and its inhabitants. 

This is her third year in Bangladesh and her amity with it is still strong. Back home, she has her parents and three siblings. “I miss my family, home town and most of all – sushi (the traditional Japanese dish). But a trip to Kyushu twice a year, and the taste of Hilsa fish make up for it, I guess” she says. 

She is also working on her Bangla which sounds really pleasantly interesting as she tries to get her tongue round 'tumi kemon acho' or 'ekhon kota baaje' under the influence of a Japanese accent. But the bright side of Akari's story is that, with the chemistry of its heritage of hospitability and abundance of genius culminating into brilliant concepts like social business, Bangladesh has a lot to offer and appeal to the world despite the plethora of anomalies or political bedlam the world knows it for.