Case Studies.

KHALIDA LAKHIAR - HOME NET

“Home Net has managed to create economic empowerment for the women in rural Sindh”

 Khalida Lakhiar, a resident of the District of Dadu felt she had to be proactive and alleviate the plight of the women in rural Sindh by combating poverty and helping them gain social and economic empowerment for a better livelihood.

Recognizing this, Khalida, who is a craftswoman, knew the demand for the handicrafts being developed by the women in her district and the value of these products in the city but the “middlemen” capitalize on this opportunity and sell the low priced products with a high profit margin.

To combat these issues she established Home Net in 15 villages of the district of Dadu for women economic empowerment. Home Net networks entrepreneurs and develops linkages for marketing these products through exhibitions and mela’s in the local market to ensure the product quality, color combination of the product, and promotion of the product according to demand and market. Through Home Net, women are inculcated with the concept of quality assurance, kept abreast with latest trends in color combinations, designs and products.

The men in these villages feared women empowerment as women would ask for their rights therefore prohibited them to take part in Home Net. Khalida knew she had to somehow convince the men in the area, hence she arranged a meeting with the men and women in the villages to make them understand that another earning member of the home will contribute towards a better living and education for their children.

It has been two years now, and Home Net is working with 50 selected entrepreneurs by providing them with technical support, skill training and a platform to market their products. Home Net has managed to create economic empowerment for the women in rural Sindh, which allows the women to stand shoulder to shoulder with the men as earning household members.

Home Net has a vision to establish a craft emporium in Karachi and Hyderabad for the purchase and sale of the products and to expand the Home Net program in rural Sindh as one village one product.

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