Capacity Building for Fair Trade Groups South Asia

Lead Partner: People Tree Foundation
Project Partners: Kumbeshwar Technical School, Thanapara Swallows Development Society, Devtech, Artisan Hut, Kumudini Welfare Trust of Bengal Ltd
Project Location: Bangladesh, Nepal

Project Description

The project aims to double the number of disadvantaged people earning a decent livelihood, via five fair trade partner organisations operating in Bangladesh (locations to be determined) and Nepal.  This is a programme to develop and strengthen the organisations’ adherence to fair grade principles, build their business skills and production management skills such that they can manage growth on this scale, and improve the equality and design of their products to increase demand and increase employment.

The key project activities consist of:

• the development and dissemination of the World Fair Trade Organisation Fair Trade System (WFTO FTS) for home workers in Nepal and garment workers in Bangladesh, to improve planning, management and business development
• the establishment of the infrastructure for joint yarn procurement for fair trade groups in Bangladesh, to reduce textile costs and improve quality
• the provision of production and quality management training in Bangladesh.

The expected benefits include:

• increase the number of vulnerable people working under fair trade conditions from 3,717 to 7,434 (95% of which are expected to be women)
• create work for the socially disadvantaged (very poor in rural areas, people of low caste, refugees, ethnic minorities and the disabled)
• improve the working practices for the partner organisations through the adoption of the WFTO FTS
• develop and refine robust practical monitoring and business development systems for fair trade organisations by publishing the materials
• create a pool of experts for management systems and technical training that can be accessed by other fair trade organisations
• creation of over 3,500 new jobs and improved working conditions for over 7,000 garment workers.