Going by our holistic approach to upgrading the community’s social indicators, promoting local handicrafts is equally important and cannot be ignored. It has tremendous potential to grow if only some assistance is provided to the Artisans. In our mapping, we found that many community members (especially women) are traditionally engaged in this profession but operating at a very low level since they lack increased investment and some training. Also, equally important is to link these women Producers to markets and outlets whereby they can promote their products and earn the profits they deserve.

Responding to the need, SRSO has established a Crafts Enterprise Development Section and placed trained professional staff, and is focusing on the development, promotion, and revival of traditional skills, especially handicrafts products of the village communities in the target area.

It has carried out the Mapping that revealed that the community in the target districts is tuned to cutwork, patchwork, mirror work, needlework (different types of embroidery); Straw work (Wheat stick crafts); date palm leaves products, reed furniture (Chickhs & Mooras); Crochet work (Kundhee / Hook work); Machine Embroidery etc. Mapping of this potential has enabled SRSO to promote these crafts by up-grading and enhancing the skills of producers catering to the specific needs of the markets. Especially the women folk who are the backbone of these vocations deserve some support both in terms of capacity building/training and finances.

Crafts Enterprise Development Section is striving to explore the hidden potential in rural communities and developing micro-level enterprises for these communities through variety of subject-based capacity building programs. All of these inputs contribute towards the development of small businesses and enterprises at a local level, which in turn are creating employment opportunities at local and broader levels.

The CED section performs the following discrete activities:

1. Skill enhancement/capacity building training on a variety of crafts;
2. Product designing, research, and business creation exercises;
3. Product promotion through different marketing channels;
4. Business development exercises, marketing trainings/workshops;
5. Exposure visits of renowned locations, industries, home-based workers, and groups;
6. Local, national, and international exhibitions, seminars, and conferences;
7. Market surveys, business feasibility exercises, and business plan creations;
8. Institution building at the community level.

SRSO has set up an outlet “Sartyoon Sang Crafts Enterprise” at the SRSO head office in Sukkur, where products made by village folks are upgraded and displayed. SRSO also arranges and participates in Exhibitions at different places in Sindh and across Pakistan to promote the work of artisans. The target of the Crafts Enterprise Development Section is the promotion of local handicrafts to local ,national and international markets.