Handmade

in Bangladesh

BRAC Enterprises: Aarong

The views expressed in this paper are the views of the authors and do not necessarily
reflect the views or policies of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), or its Board of
Governors, or the governments they represent. ADB does not guarantee the accuracy of
the data included in this paper and accepts no responsibility for any consequence of their
use. The countries listed in this paper do not imply any view on ADB's part as to
sovereignty or independent status or necessarily conform to ADB's terminology.

a BRAC social enterprise

Tanvir Hossain
Manager | Marketing & Sustainability

A holistic approach to
womens empowerment
Development Programmes
Agriculture and Food Security
Community Empowerment
Disaster, Environment & Climate
Change
Education
Gender, Justice, and Diversity
Health, Nutrition, and Population
Human Rights and Legal Aid Services
Microfinance
Migration
Ultra Poor
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene

Investments
Financial Institutions, IT, University

Social Enterprises
Aarong
Dairy
Artificial Insemination
Poultry and Poultry Rearing Farms
Feed Mills
Chicken
Fisheries
Salt
Sanitary Napkin and Delivery Kit
Cold Storage
Sericulture
Seed
Nursery
Printing Pack

Aarong
One of 16 social enterprises of BRAC
Established in 1978, Aarong
means village fair
Certified fair trade organisation
50% of profit for BRAC
development programmes
Retail stores, production centres
and independent producer
management

Philanthropy

Corporate
Social
Responsibility

Creating Shared
Value (CSV)

How CSV be used to sustainably expand opportunities for

women?

Michael Porter & Mark Kramer

Havard Business Review

Crafts
Inclusive Creative Industries
Weaving Jamdani Tailoring Hand
Embroidery Nakshi

Making

Wood

Kantha Doll

Carving

Metal

Engraving Natural Dye Batik Block

and

Screen

Printing

Pottery Leather Jute

Jewellery

Unlocking potential
of women
Entrepreneurs of
MSMEs
136 women (35%)

Home based workers

& production unit workers
55,250 women (85%)

Challenges of the marginalised producer

Design Innovation

In-house design and product development

Capital

Instant payment, Collateral free loans

Quality Knowledge

Capacity building, Quality assurance

Market Access

Rural artisan access to urban markets

Marketing

Customer focus, Branding

Social Compliance

Fair trade, Social accountabilities

Value chain support

Institutional
support

Maintaining
Compliance

Ensuring
quality
inputs/
outputs

Market
access

Design

Weavers

Sample
Development

Value
Addtion

Processing
store/
Warehouse

Costing/
Ordering

Tailors

Quality Control

Retail outlets /
export /
aarong.com

Other
Craftpersons

Economic & Social

Empowerment

HEALTH

AWARENESS

ENTITLEMENTS

MICROFINANCE

LEGAL AID

Artisan
Group

HYGIENE
1,800 sessions at any given
month at production centres

Aarong Today
9 Million USD in loans and credit
13

Outlets - 191,000 ft2

60

Million USD in sales

109

Product lines

65,000

Artisans