About us
A registered NGO in Agargaon, working since 2007.
Zhumka Hasta Shilpa Mahila Samity is a registered local non-governmental organization (NGO) in Bangladesh focused on women's social and economic development through handicrafts and skill support. It is a non-profit organization registered under NGO Affairs Bureau, Bangladesh.
What we actually do
We teach a craft, then we make sure there is somewhere to sell it. Training on its own does not feed anyone. A woman who finishes a course here can take orders from us the same season.
The work is nakshi kantha embroidery, tailoring, block printing, and hand-woven jute and cotton goods. Some of it is sold at fairs in Dhaka, some goes to shops, and some is shipped to buyers abroad.
We are small and we stay close to our members. The manager knows every woman on the list by name.
What we hold to
Pay by the piece, on time
A member is paid for what she finishes. She is told the rate before she starts, not after.
Keep the seat open
Money from sales goes back into cloth, thread, and the next round of training places.
Work that fits a life
Members work at the centre or at home. Nobody loses a place for having a child at home.
Who to speak to
Mahmudul Hasan Miraj runs the centre day to day: intake for courses, orders, prices, and anything a donor or partner organisation needs to see. He is the right first call for all of it.