Rural Craft Group

Description
Sustainability
Additional Impacts

The initiative was formed with the objective to ensure the survival and sustainability of local and traditional craftspeople and to make the crafts viable and attractive for the next generations of artisans. Employing 150 women spinners and 150 individual artisan units, the work ties in with the existing traditional skills of the artisans, namely, warping, joining, finishing and natural dyeing of yarn. Being a drought-prone region, reliable, steady work is unpredictable at best, in effect, causing rural families into forced nomadic lifestyles. This initiative offers much-needed, steady work opportunities to artisans.
Sustainability & Fair Trade
- Local materials
- Handwoven on hand-operated looms
- Natural, renewable and biodegradable raw material
- Reusable
- Harmful sources of energy including electricity are not used in the production process
- Hand dyed with natural dyes, using minimal water
- Waste fabric from one product is used in other products
This initiative employs rural, traditional weavers. A Board directs initiatives and decision-making occurs within fair and democratic parameters. Fair wages are provided in keeping with government and market standards and in consultation with artisans. Artisans work from home, but do sampling at a common weaving sampling unit. They are not on bound contracts and can choose their own trajectory of growth, and they have the option to branch out to become self-employed entrepreneurs, if they so choose. Artisans receive aid in procuring credit, insurance and entitlements from government agencies. Collectives are in place to help artisans’ voices to be heard and social awareness programs and training are provided as well. Employees and their families also receive support for health-related matters.