3-day Artisan Mela concludes

ISLAMABAD—Three-day Artisan Mela organized to promote hand made products developed by the local home-basedworkers from Abbotabad, Peshawar, Mansehra and Haripur concludedhere on Sunday.
The three-day exhibition is a huge event which extended local producers an exposure to the right market and helped them todevelop linkages with other financial market and technicalinstitutions.
More than 50 entrepreneurs including 60 per cent women were involved in the Mela that promoted different products of about 450 locally-based producers.
Imtiaz A. Rastagar, Vice-Chairman and Chief ExecutiveOfficer, Engineering Development Board was the chief guest at the closing ceremony of Artisan Mela organized by Sarhad Rural SupportProgramme (SRSP) and Forums of Enterprises Activities.
SRSP is a private, non government and non profit RuralSupport Programme working for poverty reduction in the NWFP andimproving the quality of life of the rural poor by harnessingtheir potential to help themselves.
In this `Mela’, quality and variety could be seen in all products like beautiful hand made handicrafts, crystal work,embroidery, Bead work, silk and glass paintings.
There was a vide range of variety in each of displayed products available at 40 main stalls.
Speaking on the occasion, Imtiaz A. Rastagar urged tofurther improve the quality of certain products to capture international market.
“ At every stall, there are unique items which could attract the market and bring prosperity for the local artisan,” he added.
One of the aim of mela was to help the earthquake victims with the profit generated from this mela through the saleof stalls and tickets.
This profit will be used in establishing an generating opportunity for the earthquake victims of Mansehra especially women.
It will help themselves to make them feel that they can once more stand on their own feet.—APP