Prokritee originally began as a job creation project under the umbrella of Mennonite Central Committee (MCC). It was established in the mid-seventies, after the War of Liberation between East and West Pakistan. Prokritee, which means “nature,” places strong emphasis on working with sustainable and natural materials.
Flourishing on their own:
Now an independent, non-profit organization, Prokritee provides training, design assistance, and finds markets for the handmade paper, jute, hemp, and natural fiber products made by rural artisans throughout Bangladesh.
Prokritee currently manages eight handicraft enterprises. These eight enterprises are: Hajiganj, Sacred Mark, Keya Palm, Bhiborton Paper, Bagdha Rope & Twine, Jobarpar and Shuktura Paper. These eights groups are equally represented in the eight leaves of the Prokritee logo. The main objective of Prokritee is to provide resources and marketing opportunities, as well as to develop the social and economic capacity of rural, disadvantaged women in Bangladesh, while upholding Fair Trade standards and practices.
Empowering Women:
The majority of rural artisans employed by Prokritee are women and many are widows, divorcees or head-of-households with little or no income. By providing jobs for women, Prokritee is able to improve the women’s standard of living, earn respect in their communities and help them send their children to school. These talented artisans can now look to a future of hope and opportunity, rather than poverty and despair.
Prokritee’s Goals
Income-Generating Projects
Creating, promoting and assisting income-generating projects that:
- Benefit the producers
- Adhere to good safety and environmental standards
- Have the potential to become self reliant
Women’s Employment
Hiring Women employees who are:
- Head-of-households (widows, divorcees, or separated)
- Have little income (if any)
- Landless with few or no assets
- Primarily rural
Skills Development
- Providing training to increase the skills of personnel within income-generating enterprises
Learn more about Prokritee at: www.prokritee.com