Bunyaad Artisans

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    Visiting Rug-knotting Artisans in Chistian

    ByBunyaad

    Chistian in Pakistan

    On Saturday, November 14, we took a 6 hour drive south down to Chistian, a community that Bunyaad has been working in for 6 years. The Chistian area has a long history of Persian rug making. Bunyaad needed more rug making capacity and learned that talented rug makers in Chistian often did not have enough work and were sometimes exploited by unscrupulous rug buyers. Mr. Shah was recruited to be the local Bunyaad Rug Supervisor and today families operating 75 looms are supplying top quality Persian rugs to Bunyaad.

  • The Dougs are off to the Bunyaad office

    ByBunyaad

    After enjoying a delicious breakfast of fried eggs, paratha and tea at the Chaman home we drove to the Bunyaad office and warehouse on Nicholson Road to meet the staff and learn more about rug making.

    Bunyaad office staff

    A royal reception was waiting for us when we entered the front door. We had greetings all around with the more than 20 staff people on hand. Doug Horst and I (Doug Dirks) were presented with a basket of gifts that included new Bunyaad mugs and new Bunyaad business cards for both of us.

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    Juggling Family, Household and Work

    ByBunyaad

    Bunyaad artisans Arshad, Mustaq and family

    Let Me Introduce: Arshad

    Arshad, usually called by her nickname Bebe, and her family live in the village of Darianwala located approximately six miles from the Indian border in Northeast Pakistan.

    Arshad and her husband Mustaq have been working for Bunyaad for the past five years (since 2009). Prior to joining Bunyaad the family had been drifting from place to place in hopes of finding work that would support the entire family. As a woman working outside the home would not have been acceptable for Arshad and so the challenge of providing for the entire family rested on Mustaq’s shoulders.

    How does a family in rural Pakistan make ends meet when jobs are scarce and mostly seasonal?