Working with the women artisans and the children in the village of Mulana we intend to use our skills in this project to assist in the development of the women and their craft.
One of the most important facts of this project is the craft of the women is handed down from generation to generation.
At present we see creative artisans (village women) losing their art form because they are treated like factory workers, working for mass production and at low wages. This results in the artisans producing poor quality work which has little market value.
The young girls of the village (who are currently not allowed to go to school) are helping their mothers with the embroidery, in order to assist in the family income. As a consequence the poor quality of production, the next generation of artisans are only learning to create similar low quality work.
Currently the village women have very little understanding of design, production and the shape or how to form the finished product. A considerable amount of basic teaching needs to be given to the women and the young girls to develop their understanding of creativity, quality and marketing of their works. When these points are understood and achieved, we can look at the future production and marketing of a new range of village based products.
The work-art form of these artisans deserves to be exposed to a wider market, both locally and internationally. This will give the product range the opportunity to grow and to further develop the recognition and respect for the creative skills of the village women.
The current textile work is the only form of income for the women of the villages, and their extended families. At present the women are being exploited, and the traders who use these artisans to create their products make a considerable profit from their work.
These distant and isolated village women have little, if any choice in their embroidery work and have to take what is given to them, or else they have nothing.
The women are paid poorly for low quality work and consequently this does not stimulate or motivate them to do anything better. The past work reflects this. If their talents were harvested and groomed, supported and encouraged, they could create some really outstanding work.
The young girls can also be involved in learning, designing and creating work, helping them to gain some form of education and pride in their work for their future. This project will enable the women artisans to earn a higher income and more importantly to be treated fairly on the Fair Trade market.