Cottage industry supports Bangladesh's lowest social rung

A Bangladeshi social worker who set up a cottage industry to fund the education of poor workers is selling his products at the Bangladesh pavilion in the Global Village. Prafulla Kumar Sarker, a former student leader, said the Thikana community development organisation, in the district of Jamalpur in northern Bangladesh, supports the education of hundreds of "sweepers" in the locality at a school established for them.

It is funded by the proceeds of Rangdhanu Hastashilpa, which manufactures textile products. Along with Supti Gomez, Chairman of Rangdhanu Hastashilpa, Sarker created Thikana - which means "address" - to support the underprivileged.

"The sweeper community, mostly known as 'horijon', is the most neglected one in our country," he said. "They are not treated well by society. Their kids can't play with other children and usually do not attend school. So generation after generation they remain uneducated, underprivileged and stay in the same work.

"From the proceeds of our business at Rangdhanu Hastashilpa, we contribute a certain amount every month to the education of sweepers in a makeshift school where hundreds attend classes.

"The sweepers usually finish their day's work by mid-morning, as they begin sweeping streets at dawn. So we began a four-hour schooling for them, which begins from 8am and continues until mid-day. By lunch time they are through with work and education.

"We teach them the basics to enable them to read and write, empower them to improve efficiency and develop various other skills so that they can support their families in a better way. "One of our goals is to empower their spouses and children so that, after a few years, they can contribute to their household income by earning."

Sarker said their efforts have been well received. "We have even received appreciation from the Government of Japan for our efforts. Currently I am looking to introduce computers at the school so students can become computer literate by the time they finish."

Rangdhanu employs 2,065 craftsmen and women to create some of the finest woven sarees, dress material and pillow covers, cushion covers, mats, bedsheets, bedcovers and 'nakshikatha' - hand-stitched craft work that is famous for its ethnic designs.

Sarker said his company has developed a network of workers throughout the district that provide the designs, concepts, cloth, frames and other input materials and send them for production to mostly housewives and unemployed young people who print the designs on cloths and artefacts to create some of the finest traditional designs on cloth and handicrafts.

The company's products are exported mainly to the U.S. and Europe, especially England, where a sizeable Bangladeshi population lives. Its participation in Bangladesh pavilion is the company's first direct entry into the UAE.

Sarker said his company's outlook has also been to help the needy, apart from making money for charity. He said: "After keeping money aside for our household needs from the profits, we set aside a certain amount for the industry's future growth and the rest goes to charity.

"Many young men and women who hail from remote towns and villages are lured into the cities with a promise of employment and better living, only to find themselves trapped by middlemen and touts, who exploit them by forcing them to engage in unethical practices at the cost of their dignity and honour. Some of them are smuggled out of the country against their will.

"Through our company's network, we have managed to empower many housewives, unemployed young men and women who have been suffering from frustration due to lack of work and were about to fall prey to this vicious circle. Now, our company supports 2,065 families by creating handicrafts and traditional dress materials."