> Fair Trade Handicrafts Showroom in Bandarban Hill District:

Viator Bangladesh set up its exclusive Fair Trade Handicrafts Shop in Bandarban Hill District mainly to support local indigenous crafts producers through training and marketing. This project will also create jobs for local people. This project started its operation in April 2008.

It was a challenge for Viator to plan and set up this project in Bandarban. Many people still are not up to date that Bandarban is a beautiful place to visit and it is very rich in natural beauty with 11 different indigenous groups with their tradition and culture.

Beside showroom Viator will look for more opportunities to set up projects to create more jobs for local people in Bandarban.

Viator showroom, Bandarban Hill District

> Training Programs

Viator Bangladesh has taken initiative as priority basis to conduct a “Handicrafts Training Program in Bandarban just after starts it’s exclusive handicrafts showroom to ensure the market for local people. Viator Bangladesh is the only organization who was able to bring all 11 (eleven) indigenous groups in one training program and took the challenges to produce their traditional weavings, bamboo products, blankets, wooden items, block print & screen print items etc. through this program. Viator Bangladesh successfully recovered their heritage which they discontinued for a long time.

Viator Bangladesh jointly organized another two training programs (one in Bandarban and one in Pirgacha, Tangail) with Bangladesh Forest Research Institute on bamboo products mainly to market products through its Bandarban and Dhaka showrooms and got very positive results on this training. BFRI mainly trained to develop new designs and treatment of bamboo. Viator still wants to arrange more training programs to develop new products from local resources to support low-income indigenous producers through marketing.

Handicrafts Training Program in Bandarban Hill District with 11 Indigenous groups

Beside local sales, Viator is exporting handicrafts to Norway, Sweden, Australia, Nepal and USA. We are affiliated with
CSR-Norge (www.csr-no.no),
Nordstrandveien 5, 1170 Oslo,
Norway,
Phone: +47 222 90 855
Fax: +47 222 90 856 ,
Mob: +47 911 81 846 ,
Email: helge.adlandsvik@csr-no.no
and
Folk Nepal (www.folknepal.com),
Lazimpat, Kathmandu, Nepal,
Phone: +00977 1 4426009,
Email: info@folknepal.com
Viator Bangladesh is a member of Ecota Fair Trade Forum.