Lahore,: Daachi Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation, innovation arid exhibition of Pakistani culture and heritage through its crafts. Arts and crafts are the backbone of the country's cottage industry and provide sustenance and livelihoods to a huge part of Pakistan's population.

This inherent cottage industry, due to declining demand and dwindling sales is on the brink of collapse and the future of master artisans and their precious crafts is severely threatened.

Daachi aims at redefining and restructuring this industry and in the process uplifting the quality of craft targeting the urban customer and provide sustainability and livelihood to the craftsmen. We, at Daachi, intend to eliminate the middle man and provide artisans with direct access to the customer. Not only is the business transaction more fruitful for the craftsman, the direct customer feedback results in more focused product development for the future.

Daachi Foundation has so far held 10 successful exhibitions displaying craftsmanship from all four provinces of Pakistan. Starting with an initial colourful and lively Mela held on the grounds of Alhamra in 2011, Daachi members have gone from strength to strength in providing interesting venues and artistic display of arts and crafts for the past 8 years.

The previous exhibition in April, 2017 attracted an audience of over 10,000 visitors during the course of three days. With an established reputation now, Daachi attracts high income customers who are not only patrons of our local heritage but also spend generously, resulting in impressive cumulative sales figures.

In the near future Daachi will be initiating its 'Artisans Village' on three and a half acres of land where craftsmen will be provided permanent shops at a nominal rent and residential quarters on a rotation basis to retail their product and engage with designers and art and design students to improve their craft.

The Artisan Village intends to promote Pakistani culture through regular exhibitions, concerts, workshops and seminars and on an ongoing basis through a crafts bazaar of 55 permanent shops on a business model similar to that of Delhi Haat and Chatuchak Market. The Artisans Village will be economically sustainable-PPI.

ENDS-PPI

11/7/2017 8:43 PM