Traidcraft has been trading with producer groups in the region for over 30 years and we began implementing development projects in India in 1995. We have offices in Dhaka (Bangladesh) and Hyderabad (India).
Why do we work in South Asia?
South Asia is one of the fastest growing regions in the world but millions still live in extreme poverty. The region is home to over half the world’s poor – that’s more than 400 million people - the largest concentration of poverty on the planet.
Over the last decade, South Asia has seen strong economic growth. However at the same time there has been a rise in inequality in the region. Uneven growth within countries has resulted in large sections of the population (particularly poor, rural communities) being excluded from the benefits of growth.
Some facts:
- Average life expectancy in India is just 64 years of age (67 in Bangladesh)
- In Bangladesh nearly half the population (49.6%) is struggling to survive on less than $1.25 (roughly 75p) a day
- In India 69 children out of every 1,000 don’t live to see their 5th birthday
- In both countries 12-13% of children aged 5 to 14 are involved in child labour
- In Bangladesh only 17% of people are educated to secondary level or above (22% in India)
- Over 20% of the population in both countries is under nourished
(Source UN Human Development Report 2010)
Our focus in the region
In Bangladesh our efforts are focused on the sustainable agriculture, jute, and handicraft sectors. Helping producers to adapt and cope with climate change is also an important aspect of our work in this country.
In India an important focus is cotton, helping to improve the livelihoods of small-scale cotton farmers and labourers, and trying to bring different stakeholders together to facilitate changes in the sector. We are also working to support people affected by the 2004 tsunami to re-build their lives and establish new sources of income for their families.
Tea and fair trade (especially promoting fair trade in domestic markets) are priority areas for our work in both countries.
Meet some of our South Asia project beneficiaries.
