Folk, Bangladesh

See the beautiful Ikat weave Folk creates by painting spools of cotton

For people living in rural Bangladesh, finding work is very difficult. To search for employment their only option may be to leave their families and migrate to the city.

Spools of cotton are painted with stripes then woven into a beautiful ikat weave design

Rural to urban migration is a severe problem in Bangladesh. The cities are overcrowded, unhealthy and expensive to live in. Men often have to leave their families to find work, and sometimes don't come back. Once there, migrants are highly vulnerable to exploitation because they are unprepared for city life and do not have the support network of their community.

Folk addresses this very serious issue by providing rural employment for semi skilled or skilled men, almost half of whom were previously unemployed. While initially folk employed mostly men, currently an equal number of men and women work there, many of whom are from economically marginalised communities or local tribal groups.

Folk now works with over 600 artisans, providing them with free accommodation where required, interest free loans, and group insurance. Their clothing is elaborately handcrafted, combining a wide range of traditional skills, including ikat fabric dyeing, hand weaving, and hand embroidery work. Folk Bangladesh and we at People Tree partner to bring design and technical support to artisans in the remote areas of the Chittagong Hill Tracts, Mymensingh, Bandarban and Cox’s Bazaar to bring work opportunities to disadvantaged people there. People Tree is Folk's most regular customer. Money from our sales have been reinvested in social projects, including an annual eye camp in Bisiri for free eye treatments (mainly cataracts), and a flood relief program providing food for flood victims.

Eighteen year old Kabir left school before completing his education because his father became ill. Kabir needed to find work to support his family. He began working at Folk as an assistant, but now, two years later he is a skilled tailor working on orders for People Tree. This has allowed him to support his family, and put money towards his married sister's maternity care.