Development Wheel

Development Wheel – Bangladesh

 Development professionals established the Development Wheel as a Fair Trade Organisation in 1996. By providing marginalized cane artisans with assistance to participate more effectively in a highly unfair and competitive market, the organisation seeks to alleviate poverty and provide self-employment opportunities for rural women, adolescent girls and children.

Cane grows widely in Bangladesh, and cane handicrafts are one of the main income earners for Bangladeshi villagers. The artisans use simple, traditional tools to weave dry cane pieces into a variety of products, from place mats to plates. It is also a trade that has spawned many large production units in cities and large towns, which, through providing poor wages and conditions, capture the market and make it hard for village cane workers to compete.

Today the Development Wheel supports twelve producer groups covering about 450 members in five districts assuring that women who produce cane products will receive a fair return for their work.

Dilip Sarkar lives in Manikgonj district, where cane is widely cultivated. Dilip has about ten people working with him to make cane products. They all learned the craft from their fathers and grandfathers, and have traditionally sold their products in the local market. However, recently they have found that the small income from local sales is insufficient to provide for their families.

Three years ago, Dilip started to work with Development Wheel, and now receives training and assistance with new designs and product quality, as well as the opportunity to increase his market through exporting. With the assistance and opportunities associated with Development Wheel, Dilip and his group members have slowly brought positive change to their lives. Now their children go to school, and Dilip now owns his own house.

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