Who are
the Artisans?
721 artisans in Umerkot and 250 artisans in Thatta are trained and have learnt the importance of working in a group, how to use design in crafts, the importance of quality assurance, time management, pricing, and negotiation skills. These artisans have experience of working with urban retailers, understand their requirements well and can work under pressure to complete orders in time.
How does Taanka support the Artisans?
Before the artisans joined the Taanka social enterprise, they were earning less than $ 10 and that too from agriculture only. Now some of the artisans are earning more than $ 65 , and are very satisfied. Many of them do not need to toll in Sindh’s scorching heat in farms anymore. Increase in income and working in groups has given them confidence as well to have a say in decision making. Taanka is proud to say that most of them are on the path to empowerment.
- Income level of artisans have increased from $5 to $50, some are even earning more than $100 per month
- Mobility of Artisans has increased. Artisans who did not get chance to visit nearby villages, travelled to Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad. This has given them sense of achievement which they never felt in their lives
- Financial independence of women artisans to save, spend on themselves, spend on health
- Decision making power of women artisans increased in households and communities
- Enrollment level in schools has increased in the area. Many children who could not afford to go to school are now studying
- Taanka is paving a path towards gender equality in the region
- There is an increase in basic literacy among women
Artisan Stories
A True Inspiration
Mithal, a 45-year-old widow and mother to a 13 years old son, lives in Phul Jhakro village located in Thatta district, Sindh. Mithal and her son live with her mother and brother. The brother is often unwell and unable to bring home a regular income.
Supporting local enterprises through a self-invested business
Reshma, a thirty-five-year-old artisan from Haji Chanesar village in Umerkot, Sindh, has been working with Taankaⁱ as an artisan and Women Enterprise Group (WEG) member since May 2016. Reshma has been very active in the skills-building classes and order completion activities at the vocational center in Haji Chanesar under the livelihoods project.
Adorning Bhaga’s rural life with warm colors of happiness and contentment
“My husband, Utham, takes care of the village chief’s livestock. He earns a monthly income of PKR 5000 (approx. USD 42) through it. This income amount served to be insufficient for a household of seven members. All of the PKR 5000 was mostly consumed in purchasing grocery items….
Bringing Skills to Adolescent Girls in Rural Sindh
I was engaged to marry at the age of twelve with a boy from another village. My wedding was planned as soon as I turn seventeen. To our luck, Taankaⁱ visited our village and conducted gender awareness sessions, which my family attended. After the sessions, my father realized …
Paveeta’s drive to earn and educate her family
March 7, 2017 CO-STY-00012-LIV-PK-17 Paveeta’s drive to earn and educate her family Girls’ education and promoting gender equality is part of a broader, holistic effort by Taanka. Paveeta Dessar is a 16 years old artisan from Mandhal Otaaq Village in Umerkot.
Marvi’s new beginning
“Acquiring skills at the vocational center has changed my life and given it a new purpose,” expressed Marvi, a 40-year-old accomplished artisan from Sindh. Marvi’s life took a positive turn when Taanka established a vocational and adult literacy center for women in Marvi’s residual…
Empowering women to see empowered generations
Women in the rural village of Kando in Umerkot, Sindh were a living example of what rural women in patriarchal societies are often stereotyped as: subservient, financially dependent, and restricted to their homes.
Remarkably, much of this changed for the women of Kando village after Taanka…
Dahi’s economic voyage: from poverty to empowerment
Dahi, residing in Kharoro Charan village in Umerkot, got married at a very young age as obliged by cultural norms. Tragically her husband died from a sudden illness twelve years ago, leaving her, at a young age of 34 and her 13-year-old daughter all on their own.
A young artisan’s road to success
Limited access to health care and education are among the many challenges rural women in Pakistan face. These are further aggravated by food insecurity, socio economic instability and unexpected disasters. Empowering these women is therefore key, not only to the well-being of individual women, but also for the welfare of entire families and rural communities.
Affording Education through Handicrafts Enterprise
Nineteen-year-old Akabar, belongs to Raheem Thaeem village in Thatta District of rural Sindh. One of seven family members, she worked with her father on harvesting local agricultural fields to earn an adequate income to meet the family’s needs.
Shanti’s enlightening flight towards expert artisanship
Remote villages in Sindh have abundant artisans, especially women, who utilize low cost raw materials to create breathtaking handicrafts that help supplement their family income. The rising cost of inputs, difficult access to credit and poor marketing network, have brought the handicrafts industry to its present dismal state.