BRAC-Aarong

Aarong – Bengali for ‘village fair’ – is Bangladesh’s most popular lifestyle retail chain. This ethical brand began in 1978 as a humble means to empower rural artisans to rise above poverty. Today, with 23 retail stores across Bangladesh and over 100 fashion and lifestyle product lines, Aarong supports 65,000 artisans with fair terms of trade. Revolutionizing the retail industry with high standards for quality and artistry, this iconic brand blends the traditional with the contemporary in ways that never cease to win consumer appeal both at home and abroad. In 1976, when BRAC– the world’s largest and number one development organization – engaged a small number of rural women to produce crafts, their only buyers were a few scattered retailers in Dhaka. Weeks, even months would pass between supply and payment, until BRAC intervened and established Aarong to pay the rural women for their goods on time. Over the past four decades, Aarong has carved out a unique market segment for handicrafts, reviving Bangladesh’s rich heritage and impacting the lives of more than 325,000 people through approx. 650 small entrepreneurs and the Ayesha Abed Foundation. The foundation acts as Aarong’s own production hub, where artisans find employment and access to many well-being programmes such as financial subsidies for health expenditures, access to micro-credit and saving instruments, legal aid, daycare for working mothers, awareness on rights and access to government benefits, and gratuity payments upon retirement. Today, holding steadfast to its original mission Aarong supports the livelihoods of 65,000 rural artisans and handicraft producers, most of whom are women. From clay pots to diamond jewellery, and silk and cotton fabrics to brass and leather merchandise, Aarong’s vast range of innovative products, backed by a robust supply chain and distribution network, makes Aarong truly a household brand in Bangladesh. Its growing presence outside of Bangladesh – through fair-trade networks and the online shop– continues to broaden the market for Bangladeshi crafts globally, creating more opportunities for artisans to protect their age-old art and livelihoods. Artisans of Aarong is benefitted in two ways-first of all they get paid for the work instantly in the mean of wages or salaries, secondly half of the profit generated by Aarong fuels the different programs of BRAC through which the artisans get empowered in the society as well their livelihood is supported and uplifted through a program called “Artisan Development Initiative”. Aarong adopts sustainable practices and is a member of the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO). Aarong had integrated sustainability and fair-trade principles into its original business plan more than 40 years ago. It provides producers with design input and immediate payment for work, as well as marketing and retailing support. In return, Aarong requires that producer groups maintain good working conditions, fair employment practices, and respect for the environment – all principles of fair trade. This consideration for its producers and artisans is another reason why customers love to shop here – they know that the artisans not only receive fair wages but that their working conditions are environmentally and structurally safe and sustainable. Our Vision A world free from all forms of exploitation and discrimination where everyone has the opportunity to realize their potential. Our Mission Our mission is to empower people and communities in situations of poverty, illiteracy, disease and social injustice. Our interventions aim to achieve large scale, positive changes through economic and social programmes that enable men and women to realize their potential. Our Values Innovation b) Integrity c) Inclusiveness d) Effectiveness