KASB GAH

KASB GAH

Mountain Women Quilt Center

Center of contemporary and traditional quilting

Protection of marginalized women

Enabling Vulnerable through quilting 

Introduction:

Quilting is not a new activity in Gojal, Hunza.  The tradition was a community activity where women and girls were involved to make warm bedding for the chili cold winters. With the passage of time and construction of the Karakorum Highway (KKH) between Pakistan and China, the practice slowed downed. Now, most of the bedding and quilts are purchased with expending a fair sum of money.

The Attabad (Hunza) Disaster, causing the blockage of KKH and Hunza River since January 4, 2010, taught the people of Gojal, Hunza, many lesson to preserve and reuse their unique traditions involving natural resources and community skills to have self-sufficient life.

In 2010, 15 marginalized women (most of them IDPs, and widows) felt demand of the time to survive when most of them lost their natural resources, submerged by the Attabad Lake. Some of the village women planned to start a women center where they could learn skills to craft their future and utilize the time that were used in agriculture and livestock.

Some of the women having sound sewing skills and traditional quilt making techniques were eager to work and learn further to help their family income for better education and health. They have wool, fabric scraps and clothing to recycle to begin quilting with less additional expense.

The KASB GAH (Women Quilt Center Gulmit) aims to serve the marginalized people in Gojal, through providing a center for activities of teaching quilting and patchwork.

The board of governors suggests a systematic business plan in the following steps as learnt in HiMAT training sessions: 

1. Assessing group readiness

A group of 15 marginalized women from Gulmit gathered and were ready to develop and manage a community quilt center with resources as; time, finance and materials (raw materials, sewing machine)

In early meetings enough time and resources were used to identify the personal qualities, resources and raw material and technology for the business. It was fond that the group possessed some personal qualities, skill and knowledge required with some raw materials to manage the business. Time was the main resource and it was known that most of the IDPs have enough time to spare. For finance, the members agreed upon contributing 2500 rupees per head, as initial investment. Further it was also agreed to contribute in kind (if with raw materials and sewing machines) for initial production.

2. The Business idea

Product and service

Business idea of the group is production of quilts and bedding materials. Living in the high mountains of the Karakorum range people spend large sum of money on fuel for energy, clothing and bedding materials to stand long cold winter. Investment in such activities could provide quilts and bedding materials at a reasonable price with usage of local materials and indigenous knowledge and skills. Most importantly, it will provide an opportunity for the marginalized and interested women to contribute to their family income.

The products include; quilts, bedding materials (pipr, teshek, yijin), pillows and baby envelops. The raw materials for the product will be wool from the villagers, used small pieces of fabric and clothing from their home and cotton from market. Small pieces of fabric and clothing would be joined together to make larger pieces with creative designs and decorative values.

Who will buy?

It was learnt through a survey that in population of 4500 people living in Gulmit and its vicinity villages are mostly using quilts, blankets and bedding materials imported from China or main cities of the country. If the same products are produced in the village it will cost them half of the price.

Who else is providing the service?

Currently, a community center in a small village (Hussaini) with a population of 700 people is producing such products and is popular among the local clients. But the demand is huge and the distance from Gulmit is 7 km through mountainous path. There are enough potential customers who want to reproduce or buy new quilts. 

3. Does our business product have a market?

Through survey of potential customers in the village and investigation of the only competitor it was learnt that the business could yield more if the changing needs of the customers were sensed and responded with new techniques, touch and technology.

Estimate the potential sells

Research marketing method

4. Does our business have the resources we need?

The members shared an amount of Rs. 2500 as start up investment. However this amount is insufficient to meet the operating cost and marketing cost. Therefore, the members are using their own resource (wool and fabrics scraps and clothing) and looking forward to hunt donors or acquire loan from Village organizations, Women Organization, Mountain Area Support Organization or banks. Looking at the current high interest rate by the organizations it seems sensible to relay on their own resources or hunt donors.

4. Is our business likely to be profitable?

The market survey seems very positive if start up investment is provided. The business seems with profit and could give better income. Through a workshop the tentative forecast of revenue and expenditure showed the business profitable not only in term of economical aspects but social and cultural too.

5. Can we manage the risks?

External and internal risks are obvious in any business and could be minimized by proper planning, terms and conditions and risk management techniques. The board of Governors will closely monitor activities of the center and give in time feedback to manage any shortfall.

6. Do you have every thing organized?

Following the modern business management techniques the center will follow the following organizational charts (see appendix)

Management and governance

With the boom in business, a business manager will be responsible to manage the day to day affairs of the center and will be accountable before the board of governors. The Governors will govern Marketing and customer relation (economic conditions in the region, action of competitors, changing expectation of customers) Ongoing improvement and development (change in technology and equipment, change in expectation and needs and reflection, what next for the business.

Currently, the secretary is responsible for the bookkeeping (financial record, financial transaction receipt, ledger, bank account) and maintenance of other records. Members have been given different portfolios for collecting raw materials, production, marketing and custom relation related tasks.

Profit will be divided among the owners on the basis of their shares after excluding the operational cost and depreciation.