Rural communities (70% of the population) are trapped in poverty. Empreza Diak to help in reviving traditional carving, weaving and pottery and turning them into income generation activities, contributing to the country's inclusive development. Your donation funds: tools product development mentoring and access to market to 150 rural artisans (75% women) East-Timor is a post-conflict democracy, rebuilding since 2002 after centuries of colonization and violent occupation.
To promote opportunities to part of the 70% of the Timorese living in rural areas and outside of the market economy, with limited access to basic education and infrastructures. To create opportunities for rural communities, in particular for women, in order to generate income and thus reduce the incidence of poverty and inequality in East-Timor.
SOLUTION This project is part of our "Turning Traditions into Livelihoods" program - an initiative that gives Timorese rural communities a chance to generate income and build a better livelihood. Your support helps: to prevent traditions from dying the design of new products to ensure their quality to help collectives start and grow, to provide management skills and to help rural artisans access the market, moving away from extreme poverty to live brighter more dignified futures.
Giving these 150 artisans this structured support and opportunity will help them to improve their livelihoods and impact more than 1000 people's lives, what in an island of 9300 people is almost 10% of the population. The growth in traditional arts and craft enables the preservation and development of local culture, the goods can be exported and become a source of income and foreign exchange. Preserving local traditions can have long lasting effect on national identity.