Kaarvan Crafts Foundation (KCF)

Kaarvan Crafts Foundation was established in 2004 with a goal to alleviate poverty by developing and sustaining avenues for economic & social empowerment for women entrepreneurs in urban and rural low income communities of Pakistan. Kaarvan Crafts Foundation is licensed under Section 32 and registered under Section 42 of Companies Ordinance, 1984   KCF’s programs aim to alleviate rural poverty through income generation, and do so by fostering the growth of a favourable and equitable marketplace that is inclusive of skilled women from low-income communities. The approach is built on the premise that women are excluded from the formal economy and/or restricted to the bottom end of the value-chain due to supply and demand side constraints. The solution lies in enhancing capacity on the production side (i.e. skill training, enhancing productivity and providing access & encouragement) while developing linkages to the marketplace (i.e. through relationship building, advocacy and networking). This brings about a natural alignment; allowing self-driven market forces to take over and create viable and sustainable economic opportunities for low-income women. The programs apply a push/pull strategy, pairing efforts to build skills, knowledge and productivity of poor women with strong market interaction, assisting in establishing market connections and providing business-related support. Combined, these efforts aim to improve the productivity of low-income and women’s equitable participation in sustainable development. With the demonstrable increase in household income, the balance of power shifts in the family, and women find themselves economically empowered. These poor women tend to reinvest their income in improved nutrition, health and education for household members, thus increasing living standards and reducing “non-income poverty” in the long term. A greater role of women in household consumption decisions leads to their inclusion in financial planning and visibility outside the home, redressing larger issues around gender equity and female social empowerment. KCF’s theory of change therefore is to educate women in life skills, enable them to earn and empower them to decide.