Giving the World a Window to Pakistani Artisans’ Skills and Talents

Pakistan has no shortage of talented artists and artisans. However, some of them live in remote areas without market access. Alizeh Gohar, a young entrepreneur, decided to bring their talents to light, and co-created Hunarmund, an e-commerce site dedicated to handcrafted products of Pakistan.

After spending some years in a corporate job, Alizeh found she could not achieve the impact she wanted to create in her country. “I decided I wanted to do something for the betterment of my country,” she said, “and bring products and stories out there.

Hunarmund, which means “skillful,” was co-founded in 2016 with Sohaib Sharih to enable artisans and micro-size businesses to access online markets, yielding better opportunities for better and sustainable income. The main objective of Hunarmund is to get artisans who live in rural, remote areas on the Hurnamund platform so that it can showcase their skills and their products. By promoting their products and telling their stories, Hurnamund seeks to create sustainability in terms of income generation, Alizeh explained.

With a recently registered trademark, Hunarmund understands the need for IP protection. Artisans are encouraged to bring out creativity and essential elements that would be difficult to recreate to avoid copycats. WIPO is helping Hunarmund with a brand strategy that will benefit the company and the artisans' families.

Beyond featuring handcrafted products of Pakistan, Hurnamund works toward the full recognition of the artisans’ skills and their efforts in keeping the art and culture of Pakistan alive.

The platform, however, is still “a progressing story.” “We don’t want to go too fast because as we get artisans on board, we also have to make sure they are committed.”

“We want them to understand why they are getting on board and how they need to follow certain ethics to work efficiently with us,” said the young entrepreneur.

Devastating Flood Hampering Artisans’ Work

The 2022 devastating flood engulfed many provinces and made many remote areas inaccessible. “Many artisans I had been working with saw their products and raw materials completely destroyed.” For the moment, they are just trying to meet their basic needs, she said.

Before the flood, Alizeh collaborated with several organizations, such as the World Bank and WWF. They reached out to four different regions to cultivate indigo dye plantations. Indigo dye is a natural dye, and those plantations created a byproduct for farmers who could sell the dye and also block print indigo craft products. Some 300 artisans joined Hurnamund through that project, she said.

The indigo plantation project also served the company’s goal of encouraging environmentally sustainable products.

However, since the flood, “Artisans don’t have a place to live right now,” she noted. Hurnamund currently features 45 artisans, down from 80 before the flood.

Becoming a Hunarmund Artisan

Artisans wanting to join Hunarmund must provide proof of identity, create a profile online, and send work samples. Once the company agrees to carry the items, the artisans are asked to provide some stock to be kept in Hunarmund’s warehouse. “We try to keep some stock in the backend. Handmade products take a lot of time to be made, but customers cannot wait,” she explained.

Products featured on the Hunarmund website include hand-painted blue pottery, indigo-dyed products, natural and chemical dye block printing that is deeply rooted in Pakistan’s culture, wooden crafts, and scented candles.

Hunarmund’s business model relies on fees it charges charitable organizations for training programs for artisans and a small percentage on each sale. The company has no exclusivity on the products, and artisans are encouraged to advertise their products for direct sales. “We don’t want to prevent them in how much they can achieve. It would not be fair for them to just be exclusively registered with us,” Alizeh said.

Training artisans

Hunarmund provides artisans with basic training on technology and social networks, teaching them, for example, how to set up Facebook marketing, create a profile, and advertise their products. The company encourages them to connect with potential customers through WhatsApp and Instagram. “Everybody, even in the remotest areas, knows about Facebook,” Alizeh said.

Training also includes photography. “Artisans don’t realize how pictures of their products will impact sales.” “They spend so much energy making a handmade product that photographs are the last thing they want to think about,” she said.

Time to Get Outside of Pakistan

The primary target market is women between 30 and 45, although men are also customers. Hunarmund sells mainly on the national market, also serving a few international orders.

According to Alizeh, the local market has become saturated, and it is time to give more exposure to artisans and enter the international market, where those products cannot yet be found. Hunarmund hopes to enter the European, Saudi, and United Arab Emirates markets. Leaving the borders of Pakistan, Alizeh and her co-founder feel they need support to protect the company and the artisans against infringers.