Women from flood-hit areas display crafts

Aseefa Bhutto inaugurates rural handicrafts exhibition

KARACHI:

Aseefa Bhutto Zardari on Friday inaugurated the three-day 12th Sartyoon Sang Crafts Exhibition at a shopping mall in Clifton.

The exhibition has been organised by the Sindh Rural Support Organisation (SRSO) in cooperation with the Sindh government and other stakeholders.

Sindh Minister for Health Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho; Minister for Local Government Syed Nasir Hussain Shah; SRSO CEO Muhammad Dittal Kalhoro; Provincial Secretary Minority Affairs Muhammad Abbas Bolach; and other officials were present at the inauguration.

Sindhi women artisans have put their crafts on display with the aim to provide market linkages to rural women and artisans.

Aseefa appreciated the endeavours of SRSO for poor and destitute communities and voiced her expectation for the continuation of such support for rural communities of the province.

She met the exhibitors and purchased wares from artisan women, who have come from flood-hit areas. Aseefa appreciated their work and craftsmanship despite calamitous situation.

The first day of the exhibition received an overwhelming response from local and international visitors.

Kalhoro said that the event's objective was to facilitate better incomes for the flood-affected women artisans. "In this connection, SRSO trained more than 10,000 women from the most under-developed regions including Jacobabad, Kandhkot-Kashmore, Shikarpur, Ghotki, Kambar-Shahdadkot, Khairpur, Sukkur and other districts to help women gain maximum monetary benefit for their skills."

In the exhibition, 95 Business Development Groups are representing 1,572 artisans of 12 districts, displaying and marketing their handmade crafts including plazo, shalwar, garara, trouser, shawl, duppta, stoles, waistcoat, date leaf, wheat straw, khussa, mohra, straw and rillis, bed sheets and cushions.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 4^th, 2023.