Social development: Crafting dreams into artsy realities

Exhibition showcases intricately devised works of trained rural women.

ISLAMABAD:

Spread out in a courtyard, the intricate marble mosaics glistened multihued in the broad daylight. The psychedelic finished pieces on display at this exhibition showcase the skill and craftsmanship of a batch of rural women from the twin cities who participated in a three-month-long training for the Social Entrepreneurship Development Programme, implemented by the National Rural Support Programme.

Featuring around 40 handmade marble mosaic pieces, the exhibition opened at the Serena Hotel on Wednesday. The collection comprises a delectable combination of household accessories and decoration pieces including medallions and table tops, photo frames, mirrors, miniature tiles as well as mini rugs and carpets.

The cubical marble blocks have been carved and painted in a plethora of designs. From traditional motifs to floral, geometrical and cubical patterns, the collection also includes a green and white block fashioned like the national flag, and a compact chess board.

“We are working for the socio-economic empowerment of the women by creating linkages with the market. On the one hand, this will give them employment opportunities, while also making for a valuable addition to our marble industry,” said a programme officer Jublee Bano. According to her, about 2,000 square feet marble has gone into the preparation of the pieces.



Throughout the course of the training, the women were provided with raw materials including recycled waste, kits and equipment to create the marble mosaic pieces.

“We have tremendous potential in the marble industry. We are using recycled waste to articulate high-value products. The low-cost products are transformed into high-value pieces with the elaborate handmade artwork,” added Bano. For instance, the price of table tops falls within the Rs30,000 to Rs40,000 range.

This is the pilot phase of the programme, which will further be replicated in other areas such as Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, where marble stones can be found.

Artisan Sobia Haq said she was motivated to practice the craft and generate some substantial income from it. Seeking a potential clientele, she said the training gave her a sense of fulfilment as well as the prospect of economic growth.

Pakistan is one of the key marble-producing countries in the world, with over 70 types of marble mined locally. According to an estimate, over 300 billion tons of marble reserves exist across the country.

The marble industry came into focus when the UN acknowledged the rock as a major source for social and economic development of the country, producing a new generation of multifunctional products based on stone waste to safeguard quality in stone application. Although the country has numerous marble-processing units which produce billions of tons, there is no proper mechanism for its management.

“Such initiatives are an encouraging step towards creating employment opportunities for the marginalised communities while also producing export-quality items. The marble pieces are beautiful and each one has a story behind it,” said Muhammad Ali, a visitor at the exhibition.

The exhibit will continue up until March 5.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 28^th, 2014.