Lyari calling

Violence seems to have become a part of the life of people living in Lyari. Like other areas of Karachi, Lyari also has its unique stories about crime, gore and violence. Over the past few years, Lyari has emerged as one of the main ‘areas of conflict’ and has constantly been appearing in the news whenever Karachi erupts into ethnic or gang-related violence.

One of the oldest areas of the city, it was once known as a place that produced thinkers, poets and sportsmen. That culture is dead, having been replaced by a reign of guns and bullets. Now, criminal gangs dealing in drugs, guns, kidnapping and land scams, with some of them even enjoying patronage from assorted political groups, are a common sight in the narrow, crooked and overpopulated streets of Lyari. However, things are changing now with the efforts of various organisations like HomeNet Pakistan that are taking initiatives especially to empower the women of Lyari and make them financially independent.

What is HomeNet?

HomeNet Pakistan (HNP) is a network of organisations working for the recognition and labour rights of home-based workers. HNP was registered in 2005 and has been working for women who work from their homes. These women, whatever their mode of work is; belong to the most deprived strata of the population of Pakistan. HNP believes that the productivity of women workers has to be increased with skill development training, improved technologies, access to credit and direct access to the market.

Basically, HomeNet Pakistan aims to empower women, and keeping this in mind, two projects, ‘Empowering Youth for Employability’ and ‘Women Social Entrepreneur Programme’ (WSEP), have been undertaken by HomeNet Pakistan, Karachi office, with the support of Karachi Youth Initiative. Through these two projects, 100 women from Lyari and 200 youth from Sultanabad and Hijrat Colony have been trained up till now.

The projects:

Under the project ‘Empowering Youth for Employability’ 200 youths of Sultanabad and Hijrat Colony have been trained - 70 girls in basic sewing and embroidery, 50 girls in Enterprise Development Programme - comprising skills and business training - and 80 boys in various vocational trades. This project focuses on polishing the skills of youth and increasing their employability in order to decrease the violence in the area and promote peace and stability.

According to Nuzhat Shirin, Regional Coordinator at HomeNet Pakistan, for the second project, ‘Women Social Entrepreneur Programme’ (WSEP), we visited the area of Lyari and approached around 300 girls and selected 100 girls, belonging to poor families or who have been victims of violence, on merit basis. “The whole process was a very tough one because the families especially the male members were a bit sceptical on sending their women to a centre where they could learn a skill or vocation. However, with a little effort and determination, we convinced the families of these girls. We formulated a transparent system and hired experienced teachers to train these girls at the WSEP Training Centre, Lyari,” shares Nuzhat.

“Through the Women Social Entrepreneur Programme these 100 girls and women from Lyari, have been trained in sewing, embroidery, handicrafts and jewellery making. We also have IT classes so that they are able to use computers and work online while sitting at their homes. The main aim of the project is to empower women by training them in various skills; make them mid-level entrepreneurs and also increase their income by establishing linkages with the market and buys through exhibitions. This would not only make these women financially independent but will also help them contribute to their household income and maintain peace of their area.

“And to encourage these girls from Lyari and youth from Sultanabad and Hijrat colony, we have recently launched Lyari Brand, WSEP Designs and H&S Designs in Karachi,” informs Nuzhat

The girls from Lyari:

With the help of the WSEP, the women of Lyari are empowering themselves by enhancing their skills through training and continuous efforts. Their stories show that if women are armed with appropriate skills, they can not only improve their own situation but can also bring a positive change in their communities. Here are some of the experiences...

Habiba Haq, resident of Lyari, is a 28-year-old divorcee and has two daughters. She joined the centre with the hope of learning some skill. “I have studied till 7th grade and because I am a divorcee, I wanted to do something to make myself financially independent. I couldn’t study further but I want my girls to acquire education and so I decided to enrol myself in the sewing and embroidery class at the WSEP Training Centre, Lyari. I only knew some basic stuff in stitching and traditional embroidery. My teacher Miss Abida taught us everything and now I have learned all the techniques in stitching,” tells Habiba.

Regarding the response of these exhibitions, Habiba says, “My work has been appreciated a lot and I have gotten some orders of stitching and embroidery as well. The overall experience has been amazing.”

Another story is of 20-year-old Fatima Hashim who is Matric pass. “I have been very lucky as my family has been supportive and they were the ones who encouraged me to join the centre and learn some skill. During our course, we were also taken to various markets to see what the requirements of the masses are. This market survey helped us a lot as now we are aware of what type of clothes and embroideries women prefer,” shares Fatima.

When asked about her future plans, Fatima says enthusiastically, “I am very hopeful as now I can also make a difference and make our area more peaceful. I plan to work from home. The first step is to make a Facebook page to promote my work.”

30-year-old, Zaitoon Mahal is a resident of Hijrat colony, one of the neighbourhoods of Lyari Town in Karachi. She is a mother of five and has completed her Matriculation. “Initially, my husband did not want me to take admission in the centre, but Ms. Nuzhat came and convinced him. He first visited the centre’s office and then he let me attend the arts and crafts class. I have learnt candle making and other handicrafts from Ms. Fouzia. The overall experience has been overwhelming for me and now I am planning to get enrolled in the cooking and IT classes,” states Zaitoon Mahal.

Faiza Taj Mohammad is 25 years old and a resident of Lyari. She has done her Masters in Mass Communication but wanted to do something more so that she could help her family financially. “When I heard about the WSEP centre I decided to take up the arts and crafts class. My parents are very broadminded so I didn’t have any difficulties getting myself enrolled here. Over here, I have learnt how to make table mats, wall-hanging decor items, candle making, colour and design on pots and much more,” informs Faiza.

“The exhibitions have provided us with a platform to display our hard work and as a result we are getting a lot of orders. So, right now I will focus on getting all the orders ready on time. As far as my future plan is concerned, I want to advertise properly, first through social media and then by working from home,” adds Faiza.

22-year-old Marium Akhter Ali shares, “I also joined the arts and crafts classes. I have learnt all the techniques that are involved in preparing any handicraft. We have been taught how to make dough flowers, candles and a lot of other things. But the best part was that, 10 girls were selected out of 100 and they were also taught business and marketing strategies. Under the supervision of Ms. Nuzhat, these 10 girls were sent to the marketplace and various malls. The main aim was to get awareness about the market demands.

“For now, I am very happy with the response that we have received. I have a lot of orders from my relatives and friends, so I will focus on that first and then I want to promote Lyari Brand. And for that I have to chalk out a plan,” explains Marium.

“We have already held four exhibitions where the products made by the beneficiaries of the two projects have been put on display and the response by the people has been great. So, hopefully we will be holding more of such exhibitions so that these girls can benefit from it and make a better living for themselves and their families. Being financially independent will also help them in bringing about a positive change in their areas,” concludes Nuzhat.