Five Years of Love, Resilience and Craft

Running a social business in Pakistan over the past five years has truly been a journey of learning and profound human connection. Working closely with rural female artisans — women who create beauty out of hardship — has shown what true strength looks like.

In 2020, when the world shut down during Covid-19, rural communities faced isolation like never before. Markets closed, mobility stopped, and supply chains broke. For many women, craft work was not just income — it was survival. We shifted to small, home-based production, ensuring that even in lockdown, women could continue earning safely. WhatsApp became our lifeline. Every stitched rilli, woven date leaf basket, or dyed ajrak cloth carried not only tradition but also defiance against uncertainty.

Then came the 2022 floods, one of the worst in Pakistan’s history. Entire villages in Sindh were submerged; homes, looms, and livelihoods washed away. Yet amidst the devastation, we witnessed the courage of women rebuilding — stitching under makeshift tents, organizing community kitchens, and helping one another find dignity in the ruins. Our artisans turned their pain into power, creating collections that told stories of loss, hope, and renewal.

And then, 2023 brought record-breaking inflation. The price of flour, transport, and raw materials soared. It became harder to sustain fair wages and production costs. Yet, these women refused to stop. They taught us that handmade work is not just a product — it’s a philosophy of patience, endurance, and collective care.

Running a social business through these years meant more than building a brand — it meant standing beside these women through every storm. We learned that empowerment isn’t a slogan; it’s sitting together on a charpoy, drinking chai, solving problems one by one. It’s designing with empathy, listening with respect, and creating with purpose.

Today, every rilli jacket, basket, and textile we produce is a testament to this shared journey — of women who have turned crisis into craft, and adversity into art.

For every stitch they’ve sewn, they’ve sewn a little more hope into Pakistan’s future.