Making Markets Work for the Conflict affected in Nepal is focused on making markets work for poor artisans in conflict-affected areas.The project connects skilled artisans to markets so that it can increase income and improve the living standards of poor artisans while also preserving the traditional skill linked closely to Nepali heritage.

Within the span of a year, Lila Devi Pun holds important positions in handicraft business in Myagdi, a western district of Nepal.

An active member of Namuna Dhaka Producer’s Group, supported by Poverty Alleviation Fund, she is doing impressive job to promote handicraft products for lifting the income level of rural women.

Dhaka weavers are usually women from remote hilly districts. Most of them, however, remained isolated from the market resulting in exploitation of their work from middlemen. She shares, “The situation has now changed as PAF has encouraged rural women to generate the products as market demands, fix price, and seek marketing platform for rural handicraft.”

PAF not only provided support to Dhaka producers to enhance their entrepreneurship and technical skills, but also united artisans by forming producers’ group. She opines, “Formation of producers’ group was a crucial step in collective empowerment as the rural artisans could purchase raw materials in bulk to lower the cost of production. As a result, we could compete in market in terms of price.”

Along with participation in other expos, she also took part in the 14th Handicraft Trade Fair, held in Kathmandu (November 25-29, 2016) with support from the PAF.

“We showcased and sold various products during the exhibition. By taking part in the expo, we understood consumers’ choice and demand,” she says, adding that we have now become capable of effectively displaying our products in expos and fairs.

PAF’s project ‘Making Markets Work for the Conflict affected in Nepal’ is focused on making markets work for poor artisans in conflict-affected areas. The project connects skilled artisans to markets so that it can increase income and improve the living standards of poor artisans while also preserving the traditional skill linked closely to Nepali heritage.

Under this project, PAF provides training on various aspects including diversifying products in a range of design and color, fixing competitive pricing, and developing market linkages with potential buyers from Nepal and abroad in order to enable local handicraft artisans.