Local artisans and craft have been one of the major and an integral part of the rural living system in Pakistan. In the recent past the mechanised ways of production, market forces and other external factors have adversely affected the local craft’s person role in the livelihood of the rural areas. SUNGI’s Craft Promotion Programme (CPP) has been providing an enabling environment for the local craft person’s work revival and building their dignity in the society as an honourable means of living. The programme field operational strategies have been ultimately adding up to the communities’ social, financial and economic assets building.

Enhancement of the capabilities for self-employment of women:

Craft’s programme has been contributing in providing self-employment opportunities to the women rural women. The programme trainings are playing a vital role in sharpening the potential skills and abilities of the community partners. The trainings focus has been on the changing taste, choice of the consumers, colour schemes and combinations, recent style and ongoing trends. In aggregate 30 trainings have been delivered to 391 craft’s members during the year 2001 taking the total number of training to 54. The CPP trainings programme has been supported with the community partners five exposure visits. The programme initiated work in the nine new villages and nine crafts groups have been organised in the year 2001 taking the aggregate number of groups to 52. The craft women membership has been reached to 1,327. These women have been getting self-employment and in total they have earned Rs. 1.72 million.

Craft’s programme has been promoting and introducing local crafts through Melas and exhibitions. During the reporting period CPP has managed to conduct four exhibitions. Community partners were supported to organise stalls of their local handicrafts and food products. The NGOs and other civil society organisation form Lahore, Karachi, Okara and Islamabad have also participated in these events. These exhibitions have attracted the people from different walk of life.

SUNGI's craft shop in Islamabad has been the main selling point of the products made by its community partners. A target of Rs. 60,000/month has been set for the craft shop sale. A remarkable total sale of Rs. 811,238/- in the year 2001 has been achieved taking the average up to 67,603/month. The demand for the craft items has been extensively increased within the country and even in the overseas.