COMMUNITY BASED INTEGRATED DEVELOPMENT OF
SHAWL & BLANKET WEAVING FOR EXPORT:
PROJECT SUMMARY
Name of the Community Based Rangeland Improvement/ Hosiery Grade Wool Production/
Project Processing/ Spinning/ Shawl & Blanket Weaving
Tenure 3 Years
Project Area 4 Districts of Former Hazara Division, Mansehra, Kohistan,Abbottabad and
Haripur Districts of, N.W.F.P. and all 8 Districts of AJ&K Neelum,
Muzaffarabad, Bagh, Rawalakot, Kotli, Mirpur, Sudhnoti and Bhimber
Districts.
Project’s ·0 To rehabilitate the socio-economic situation of the
Objective marginalized/ disadvantaged portions of the community.
·1 To raise the living standards of the farming community
by improving their livelihood through productivity enhancement and
bioenvironmental management of natural resources.
·2 To address the needs of women folk especially widows,
orphans and other deprived segments of society.
·3 To establish Community Corporate upon completion of 3
years period
Population 1,381,300
Served
Brief After Capacity Building and Awareness Raising by presenting
description economics of viable small wool production and value addition units for
of the economy generation and income enhancement, the Community members will
conceptual be asked to own this particular intervention based upon their strengths. It is
model proposed to introduce an Appropriate, Integrated and Sustainable Approach to
Rural Development, keeping in view latest trends that are producing “Results”.
A short analysis is given below:
Needs-Based Community Development:
Traditional Model:
·4 Based on Needs
·5 Goal Institutional Change
·6 Conversation Problems and Concerns
·7 Change Agent Power
·8 View of Individual Consumer/ Client
Needs are based on Community Problems!
Assets-Based Community Development:
Alternate Model:
·9 Based on Assets
·10 Goal Building Communities
·11 Conversation Gifts & Dreams
·12 Change Agent Relationship
·13 View of Individual Producer / Owner
Assets are based on Community “Treasures”
“Asset-Based” Development:
·14 Reorients development from a “needs-based” approach. Needs-based
models seek to identify weaknesses in a local community and then
implement strategies to overcome those weaknesses
·15 This method of mobilizing citizens focuses on negative characteristics
of a community and demoralizes local residents, thus limiting proactive
action at the local level.
·16 Focusing on local assets, instead of needs and deficits, allows residents
to identify possibilities for change that they can control, and energizes
residents to take action.
Asset-Based Community Development:
Individual self-interest Asset Mapping Catalyst
Relationships undeveloped which cause Relationships to
Develop
Relationships form One Outcome
based on Networks, Trust is Community Action!
and Norms
While the needs-based approach focuses on garnering external resources to
solve problems, the alternative asset based approach looks for residents’
personal skills and dreams and links them to action through a public
articulation of these local assets.
Economic Gardening:
Using local resources to grow their own jobs through entrepreneurial
activity— Economic gardening—instead of recruiting them from outside the
community, or Economic Hunting. The idea evolved from work by Dr. David
Birch at MIT who argued that a majority of all new jobs in any local economy
were produced by small local businesses.
Core Elements of Economic Gardening:
1) Providing information, infrastructure and connections for local growth
companies;
2) Providing connections between industry and academia;
3) Focusing on quality of life and amenities.
Viable Alternative!
·17 Introduce Alternate Management Systems in Livestock, including the
following:
·18 Sheep Breed improvement for Hosiery Grade Wool Production.
·19 Correct & Innovative Cultural Practices and Management for
Fodder Production (3-D Herbs, Shrubs and Forbs and Fodder
Trees).
·20 Conservation Irrigation.
·21 Angora Rabbit and Pashmina Goat Breeding for Wool
production.
·22 Wool Processing.
·23 Shawl/ Blanket Weaving and Value Addition for Export.
·24 Collective Micro Enterprise.
Vital Issues:
·25 Poverty Mitigation/ Prosperity;
·26 Ecologically Safe/ Sustainable Wool Production, Range Management &
Afforestation;
·27 Micro Enterprise.
Poverty Eradication:
In order to fight hunger and combat poverty and deprivation we must
release and tap the enormous potential of the people who can develop their own
skills and local resources.
Weaving is a major source of income generating for the vulnerable
communities in AJ&K and the Northwest Frontier Province of Pakistan. This
activity is being carried out extremely successfully in Islampur village of
District Swat. The local populace is earning a huge amount for their livelihood.
Similarly Hand weaving was familiar to the people of Balakot and Jared in
Mansehra District, where a number of people were involved in this business
before the earthquake. In AJ&K this activity is a traditional source of income
and Kashmir is famous internationally in this activity. Traditionally weaving of
one shawl and planting of one Shisham (Talli) tree was carried out at the birth
of a girl child. The shawl would eventually constitute a part of the girl’s dowry
and the tree was used for making furniture. In order to revive this traditional
craft and afford marginalized women an opportunity to work at home and earn
handsomely, an effort is being made to widen the production base and create a
larger export market. Since Pakistan and AJ&K are sorely lacking in Hosiery
Grade Wool there is a need to establish complete backward and forward
linkages in Hosiery Grade Wool Production and Value addition.
The Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) is a premier
Research Institution in the fields of Agriculture/ Horticulture; Livestock &
Range Management and has at its disposal much applied research and key
personnel in this regard. Invaluable technical support and oversight can be
provided to ensure success of this undertaking.
The SOS Villages of Pakistan are providing an extremely valuable service
by looking after the needs of orphans and other disadvantaged children. Since
this Institution works entirely on Grants and Charitable sources, it is required
that a permanent income base be built up in order to ensure sustainability. For
this purpose female children can be trained in Shawl/ Blanket Production while
male children can be trained in Sheep Management and Wool Production for
future Supervisory work in their respective fields once they grow up and join
society. This aspect of the project ensures job security of these disadvantaged
children as well as ensures sustainability of the project interventions Most
importantly the SOS can be given the responsibility of marketing of the finished
products. This is viable due to the International Linkages of the Institution and
the degree of confidence and interest that this aspect is bound to create in the
international market.
The Azad Jammu and Kashmir Rural Support Program (AJKRSP) has
been established in Azad Kashmir as a non-profit organization and registered
under Section 42 of the Companies Ordinance 1984 on October 29, 2007, as an
indigenous Rural Support Program (RSP) in AJK, on lines of similar RSPs
operating in all Provinces of Pakistan. The AJKRSP can operate all over AJ&K,
Pakistan as well as Internationally. The main objective of the AJKRSP is: To
promote the process of sustainable development through sectoral and
programmatic interventions in partnership with communities at the grassroots
level, with focus on the under-developed areas, marginalized and vulnerable
groups, by forging effective linkages and fostering functional networks with
relevant stakeholders for the socio-economic uplift of the area, leading to
prosperity and well-being of the communities at all levels.
Thus a Nexus can be established between the following:
·28 Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC).
·29 AJKRSP.
·30 SOS Villages Dhodhial Mansehra & Muzaffarabad.
Total Cost of Rupees 1,000 million.
the Project
INTRODUCTION
The objective of the Project is to provide employment opportunities to the house
holds on Conglomerate Basis in order to produce sufficiently for export. Shawls and
blankets weaving activity are already introduced in some areas like Muzaffarabad District
of AJ&K, Numbal Union Council of Abbottabad District, Balakot and Kaghan of
Mansehra District. It is proposed to build up herds of hosiery grade wool bearing sheep;
breed and distribute Angora rabbits; establish wool collection and processing facilities;
start trainings and support marketing of Shawls/ Blankets on Community basis for
marginalized females. This will not only generate employment opportunities for them but
also improve their marketable skills.
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK:
The proposed activity is designed keeping in view the training, working and
marketing needs of the whole of this region. Primarily it will consist of an establishment
section; breed improvement; wool processing; training facility and networking/
marketing section, fully equipped with relevant staff, equipment and communication
system. Besides permanent staff of the section, a data bank with lists and information
about the trainers, master trainers, and trained women and men workers, marketing
channels and potential markets shall be established. In the present situation, various
skilled workers are producing a variety of products but are unable to get financial benefits
due to lack of a marketing system which has never been taken up by the trainers as an
essential part of their activity. This has resulted in investment and production without a
marketing vision of the producers. Under this scheme, the trained workers shall be
organized in Collective Marketing Associations (CMAs) in order to coordinate their
activities and engage them in a “market-led” entrepreneurial set up linked with the best
available markets within and outside the country.
Necessary equipment, training materials and marketing information shall be
kept updated along with relevant modules to be ready for taking up any training courses
or demand for products (goods or services) from anywhere. For conducting training
courses, a minimum number of participants per course shall be defined so that trainings
could be arranged economically both for the AJKRSP and the trainees.
Training.
Bobbin Winding
Bobbin winding training will be given to the trainees through relevant tools i.e
Garzanai and Charkha.
Warping
Warping is a complicated process of weaving. The trainees will be trained to make
warps for different sizes and qualities.
Jointing of Warp
During this process the trainees will be trained to joint the new warp with the
existing one. A readymade handloom will be required for the purpose which will
have a short piece of warp.
Weaving
General weaving
This process will lead the participants to a process which will enable them to
weave simple shawls/ blankets. This is a long term process and will take a
relatively long time.
Design Making (Flowers etc)
Special designs at the beginning and end of the blanket and shawls improve the
importance and attraction of the product. The participants of the training will be
enabled to gain the skill. Colorful material will be used for the purpose.
Zondi Making
The trainees will be trained to make Zondies on the both sides of blanket/Shawls.
Washing
The softness of weaving product is hidden in the unique local washing process
with out any advanced machinery. The trainees will be trained to wash the product
in a right and environment friendly way.
Pressing/Finishing
The trainees will be guided regarding pressing and finishing the product using
manual and advanced techniques.
Dying
Dying is a complicated and sensitive process in the weaving industry. The trainees
will be trained to gain the skills for dying the raw material and product once
finalized.
Material to be used
Although quality raw materials are available but during the training low cost
material will be used to minimize the cost. The following raw material will be
used during the training.
·31 Nylon (White)
·32 Wool-10
·33 Nylon (Black, Red, Orange, Green, Brown, Blue)
·34 Soap
·35 Dyes and chemicals
Tools and equipment
The following local tools and equipment will be required for the training at each
location.
1. Looms (Traditional) 5
2. Looms (Modified) 5
3. Spinning Wheels/Bobbin Winders 4
5. Warping Machine (Traditional) 1
6. Warping Machine (Modified) 1
7. Bobbins (Small size) 500
8. Bobbins (Big Size) 200
9. Shuttles 30
10. Drums for Washing 2
11. Washing Pot (Bot) 2
12. Yard 2
13. Rope (In Yards) 100
