ISLAMABAD, June 28: The artisans from Balochistan, mostly women, have arrived to participate in the Lok Mela, now heading towards its end under the auspices of Lok Virsa.

On Thursday evening, these artisans from Kharan, Makran, Quetta and some other parts, were seen hurriedly displaying their products in the small cubicles allotted to them by the organisers.

“We got the invitation to participate in the festival only on 21st, and we immediately started. But, it takes three or four days to reach Islamabad from the remote areas we live in,” Zainab Bibi said. She is heading a group of four women from Kharan District.

They quickly put their works on display and took up the needles and started creating traditional fabric designs. Zainab Bibi, the most experienced of them all, was busy preparing a Sikka, a traditional item given to the bride on her wedding to decorate her bed.

It seemed that most of these traditional skills and crafts are being kept alive by widows in a bid to earn a living for themselves and their children.

Zainab Bibi has six children. Three of her daughters are still unmarried, while her only son is studying in class seven.

“I manage to earn enough from my work to feed my family. But, there is nothing extra to pay for the school fee or books for the children. That is why only my son is going to school, while the daughters have learnt only to recite Holy Quran,” she said.

The group of women from Kech in Makran District of Balochistan appeared more lively and eager to talk. One of them held Higher Secondary School Certificate, while others had passed matriculation exams.

“We want to study more, but there is no college for girls in our area. The closest one is in Turbat, which is more then 25 miles from our village, and it is not possible for us to commute daily to attend the college,” the girls complained.

Farida Bibi, the most seasoned artisan in the group, had been engaged in the work for the last 30 years. She said she could earn up to Rs3,000 per month from her work, which was hardly enough to feed her family.

“People provide us with cloth and thread. They select their designs and each design has a different cost, ranging from Rs150 to Rs500. Bridal dresses are more expensive,” Uzaira Rashid, another artisan, said.

Besides the artisans, some businessmen from Quetta city were also present in the Balochistan pavilion with the items they had got prepared on order or purchased from the artisans working in remote villages.

Mohammad Ismail runs a big shop in Quetta where he sells traditional items collected from all over Balochistan. “I mostly provide these artisan women in villages with the necessary material like cloth, thread, glass (pieces), beads and strings along with the designs. I pay them different amounts, ranging from Rs60 to Rs300 per piece. I sell these items at prices ranging from Rs250 to Rs800 per piece,” he said.