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An event is being hosted by One World Market, 811 Ninth St. Suite 100 in Durham, that embodies a story of hope and shares one Pakistani man's vision of helping village Oriental rug artisans receive economic parity within Pakistan.
This Pakistani Baptist minister decided to make the world a better place by forming a job creation program which pays a living wage to Pakistani artisans, men and women equally, who make heirloom quality rugs. Starting with ten families in the 1960's, this program has grown to over 850 families presently receiving fair wages for their work.
Their work can be seen at the One World Market Oriental Rug Event, September 2-6, at 811 Ninth St. Suite 100 in Durham. I know the people of the greater Durham area would welcome a different perspective of Pakistan and its people. These rugs are exquisitely designed and crafted by an artisan group in Pakistan known as Bunyaad. Bunyaad, which means "foundation" in Urdu, works to create strong foundations in the villages of Pakistan by paying a fair wage to its more than 850 artisan families. By earning a living wage, artisans can build better homes and living conditions, create educational opportunities for children, foster greater understanding between religious and ethnic groups and spread peace through equal opportunity for all.
These fairly traded rugs are marketed by Ten Thousand Villages in Ephrata, Pennsylvania, North America's largest fair trade organization. Yousaf Chaman, director of the Ten Thousand Villages Oriental Rug Program, has seen over many years the results of a fair wage within a community. Chaman says, "Fair trade is a complete message, a complete solution to poverty and social problems. It brings equality to rug artisans and empowers village women since they work together for equal pay with the men. Fair trade creates a ripple effect in the whole society causing people to forget about their religious and social differences and focus on their commonalities as Muslims and Christians work together as community to better their lives. Because Bunyaad places looms within artisans homes, they can remain in their communities continuing to practice their religion and develop their culture. Fair trade promotes peace."
This is one story of how earning a fair wage by knotting Oriental rugs has changed a life in Pakistan. Khalida lives in the village of Halwan, located approximately 1 ½ hours northeast of Lahore. Halwan is a border village, sitting roughly 20 miles from the Indian border. The road to Halwan is scattered with military bunkers, sitting empty now but ready to go into use if tensions rise between India and Pakistan. Over the years, these tensions have kept most development away from these border villages and therefore, many job opportunities.
Job opportunities are scarce in these villages. There is farming and brick making, both seasonal jobs that pay only meager salaries. Men are more readily able to compete for these jobs leaving most women with little opportunity for employment.
For Khalida though, life is very different. A few years ago she began knotting rugs for the Bunyaad, the artisan group from which Ten Thousand Villages purchases its handknotted Oriental rugs. With a loom located inside her house, she works on the loom around her other household chores. She and her older brother sit on the loom together. Unlike farming and brick making that can only be done at limited times during the year, Khalida works full time year round. Through this fair trade artisan group, she is paid for each knot she ties, a living wage that allows her to help support her parents and her household.
"This job has changed the course of my life and my family's," said Khalida. "I feel respected for my work and with the wage I receive I am able to plan for the future."
Khalida expresses her creativity through the rugs that she produces, choosing the design and colors of each rug she works on. "These rugs are a reflection of my culture and my people. They are my art and my livelihood," she said. At age 28, Khalida is not yet married but knows that when the time comes, she will take a loom with her and continue to build her home and her future.
Bunyaad's Oriental rugs provide the quality customers desire, while insuring the fairness that artisans deserve. These Oriental rugs are made of the highest grade of lanolin rich wool from the Dhumba sheep. The artisan group controls the purchasing of wool, the quality of dyes (natural and synthetic) and the purchasing and maintenance of looms and tools. These items are provided for the artisans and along with a fair wage, allow the artisans to focus on their work and take utmost ownership of the rug they are working on. A free flow of artistic creativity happens when an artisan's everyday needs are met and he/she is guaranteed a fair wage for their rug. Because the artisan group buys large quantities of wool and dyes it many colors, the artisan who knots the rug may choose to incorporate 18 to 25 colors within one rug. Skilled rug washers spend the time it takes to bring out the patina of each type of rug. Hand shearing of the finished carpet brings out the intricacies of the design.
These rugs are sustainable since they last for hundreds of years, require little care, can be washed with soap and water at home, and provide the customers with elegant organic rugs for their homes. As artisans remain in their villages to create the rugs, they develop a relationship with the natural environment around them from which inspiration for their designs is received. A sunset in the Himalayas or the plumage of migrating birds have provided inspiration for some of Bunyaad's rugs.
You can learn more about this fair trade rug program by visiting our website at rugs.tenthousandvillages.com On the homepage (bottom right) you will find a link to an interview done for WBEZ in Chicago by Yousaf Chaman. Also on the homepage at the right, you can click on "Introduction to Oriental Rugs Video" to view how fair trade has made a difference in so many people's lives in Pakistan.
Laura Wendell, manager of One World Market, Durham, invites you to enjoy these fairly traded heirloom quality rugs at their Annual Oriental Rug Event, September 2-6, at 811 Ninth St. Suite 100 in Durham. An Introduction to Oriental Rugs Seminar will be held on Thursday, Sept. 3 at 6:30 p.m. (no charge, reservations requested) To schedule an interview with the rug representative at the event, or with Yousaf Chaman, director of the Oriental rug program, via telephone, call Laura Wendell at 919-286-2457.
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