The JITA sales network: An inclusive business on the rise

This document explores the development of JITA, a socially inclusive business that evolved from an NGO to an enterprise and sales network that operates in rural Bangladesh. JITA has partnered with consumer goods companies and engages with poor and rural women by training and hiring them to sell products with social benefits in villages. The products sold include, but are not limited to, agricultural inputs, hygiene products and solar lanterns.

Main findings

• The direct impacts show that rural women selling consumer products are direct income beneficiaries of the sales network, alongside the creation of income opportunities for hub managers and service providers who stock and deliver products to rural sales women.
• JITA consumers are also benefiting from the intervention as they now have access to goods that were previously inaccessible in their communities.

Intervention description

The intervention aims to deliver effective social impacts through JITA’s distribution networks which target consumers who are difficult to reach through traditional market channels. By introducing rural women as new market channels selling consumer products, JITA’s value chain engages women at the Base of the Pyramid (BoP) as both retailers and consumers of the products. This inclusive business model seeks to challenge gender roles and open new markets at the base of the pyramid.

Evidence methodology

The case studies were conducted through primary and secondary data collection using qualitative research methods. Semi-structured interviews took place in the field over a period of 10 days, and desk research was used to gain a deeper understanding of poverty levels in the area. Researchers also reviewed findings on JITA sourced from research done by the University of Oxford.

Useful for:

An insight into the potential to transform an NGO into a fully operational and socially inclusive business. It can offer valuable information for investors and development practitioners seeking to unlock inaccessible markets.