Aseefa Bhutto inaugurates 12th Sartyoon Sang Crafts exhibition

Karachi: Bibi Aseefa Bhutto Zardari on Friday inaugurated the three day 12th‘ SRSO Sartyoon Sang Crafts’ exhibition at Ocean Mall Clifton, here today.

On the occasion Sindh Minister for Health, Dr. Azra Fazal Pechuho, Minister for Local Government, Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, owner of ocean Mall, Mr. Tariq Rafi, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) SRSO, Muhammad Dittal Kalhoro, Provincial Secretary, Minority Affairs Muhammad Abbas Bolach, Member BoD Aazar Ayaz, Member BoD Ghulam Sarwar Khero, Rural Women Artisans and others were present.

The three-day exhibition is organized by the Sindh Rural Support Organization (SRSO) with collaboration of Sindh government and its partners displaying work of around thousands of women artisans of Sindh with an aim to provide market linkages to rural women and artisans, especially after the flood-disaster.

Bibi Aseefa Bhutto Zardari appreciated the endeavours of Sindh Rural Support Organizations for poor and destitute communities and voiced her expectation of the continuation of such support for rural communities of Sindh.

She met and purchased wares from artisan women who came from flood-disaster areas and appreciated their work and craftsmanship despite dealing with the calamitous situation.

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

Appreciating the exhibition, Bibi Aseefa Bhutto Zardari said arranging such an activity to promote artisans, handicrafts and Sindh’s culture was a great effort being made by the SRSO.

The Craft Exhibition is being organized by SRSO for the last eleven years with the motive to support ethical fashion and to promote crafts of some of the most marginalised women in the province.

The event also attracted large numbers of women residents of Clifton and nearby areas. The exhibition showcases a wide array of Sindh’s handicrafts made by rural women including home textiles, basketry, jewellery, dresses, dupattas and shawls, embellished with traditional embroidery and cutwork.

These events are aimed at boosting local and traditional crafts and processes, and have created a foundation and process for connecting Business Development Groups (BDGs) and artisans to the high end market of Karachi. This is purely an effort to develop market opportunities for rural women especially those from extremely remote villages of northern Sindh with the profit being earned from these exhibitions transferred to the artisans.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO), SRSO, Muhammad Dittal Kalhoro told that the event’s objective was to facilitate better incomes for flood affected women artisans of rural Sindh. “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 that to help these women gain maximum monetary benefit from their skills, they have incorporated urban trends into their work.”

SRSO has organized the 12th Sartyoon Sang exhibition with the support of Sindh Government to showcase the work of rural artisans from flood-affected areas, with 95 Business Development Groups representing 1572 artisans of 12 districts, displaying and marketing their hand-made crafts including Plazo, Shalwar, Garara, Trouser, Shawl, Duppta, Stoles, Wasitcoat, date Leaf, Wheat Straw, Khussa, Moora, Straw and Rillis, bed sheets and cushions.