Khaddee

gly. Khaddar is handspun and hand woven cloth made out of cotton. It is produced in a small town, Kamalia in Punjab province. The process of producing Khaddar is very strenuous because it involves the craftsmen’s hands and legs moving simultaneously for weaving. However, technology has brought in an easy way for the production of this ancient cloth: Power looms. Most companies have thus moved entirely out of the traditional handlooms’ (Khaddis) business. But Machine-made Khaddar does not have the same essence as the hand-woven one. From texture and variety, all the way to the hands, the faces, the jokes while working, the expectant children waiting for their father to bring home treats every day, the story behind the cloth itself; Machine-made Khaddar and Hand-woven Khaddar are poles apart. One cannot be regarded as a substitute for the other. But that is not how the market sees it. Hand-woven Khaddar has a rougher texture and is quite thick compared to Machine-made, which is smoother and comes in many sizes. For this reason, there has been a decrease in the demand for Hand-woven Khaddar, and consequently, in the wages paid to the artisan. As a result, these rural artisans are fighting a constant battle with power looms and machine made fabric. This traditional craft of Pakistan needs to be preserved not only for the people who are economically dependent on it, but also for the protection of Pakistan's cultural heritage. Hence, this project named Khaddee aims to revive the old and traditional craft of Pakistan while re-circulating wealth to rural communities using the Good Value For Good Work Model. How it currently works:
1- The Artisan Baba spends hours making cloth for his master.
2- The master of Baba, and owner of the cloth then sells it forward.
3- The master pays Baba a small portion of the sale proceeds. How Good Value for Good Work Model works?

1- The Artisan Baba spends hours making cloth for his master.
2- Baba sends this cloth to us (his distributors).
3- We sell this cloth on his behalf, in markets that he could not reach otherwise.
4- All profits are sent to Baba.
5- Artisan Baba is now happy for all the work he has done to produce a piece of Khaddar.