About us
子どもを思うすべてのお母さんたちに
エクマットラハンディクラフト工房は2016年8月に貧しいお母さんたちのために作られました。
NGOエクマットラ はバングラデシュの貧しい子どもたちの教育をサポートする活動をしていましたが、路上生活をしている子どもたちへの直接的な支援とともに、そうした子どもの母親である女性たちへの支援を行うため、お母さんへの雇用を提供するハンディ クラフト工房をバングラデシュの田舎町、ハルアガットに設立しました。
バングラデシュでは未だに女性の社会的地位は低く、特に貧困家庭の多くの女性は抑圧された環境の中で暮らしています。工房のお母さんたちも以前はそのような自由がない中で、明日の見えない毎日を送っていました。
そんなお母さんたちにとって工房は、子育てをしながら、安定的な収入を得て、心が自由になれる「居場所」。
ここで働くことで、自分で人生を選択し、女性に生まれたこと、お母さんになったことに誇りを持って生きていく。そして、母と子が幸せに生きる未来を歩んでいくことができる。
そんな優しい希望の道を、母と子の笑顔のために私たちは作り続けています。
OUR STORY
The ekmattra handi craft factory was founded in August 2016 for poor mothers.
NGO Ekmattra was already working to support the education for poor children in Bangladesh, with direct support for children living on the street by then. But we established a handicraft workshop in Haluagut, a rural town in Bangladesh that provides employment for their mother to support both Children and their mother.
In Bangladesh, women's social status is still low, and many women, especially ones in poor families, live in a repressed environment. In the past, even the mothers in the workshop had to live unstable life without freedom. They weren’t even sure about how next day is going to be like. For those mothers, the workshop is a “place to belong” where they can get a stable income while raising thier child and free their mind.
By working here, we can choose our own life, live with pride of being a woman, and becoming a mother. And then mother and child live happily towords their bright the future. We continue to make such a path of hope
for the smile of mother and child.
MESSAGE from HEAD STAFF
“Mom lives with her children”
I’ve never thought about it before I came to this country. I feel ashamed to say but I honestly didn’t know there was such a cruel reality like there was a country where that’s not always the case.
There are still many inequalities and unreasonableness in the world, and vulnerable people have no place to speak out. When we touched the deep sorrow of the women in the darkness of the society like that, We spent days to think about if there was something we could do for them and if we could ,what it’s gonna be. Establishment of Ekmattra Handicraft,That is the very solution we’ve came to.
I set up a workshop with the desire to create a workplace where women in this country can walk their lives on their feet and create the future with their own hands.
The moment I feel happiness and joy at work is to see the moment I can see women’s self-confidence and pride through their eyes. They change after working in the workshop,even they looked like they’ve given up on their lives at first.
Through this work, I feel like I saw a potential of human beings that people can change so much if there was an opportunity.
ekmattra handi craft
Head manager Mae Watanabe
In this country, it is not easy for the poor mothers to find a proper job and live their life with self-confidence. what I still remember like it was yesterday is the wonderful women, has never been to school or worked,and who have never seen women like them work, making beautiful Nokshikata (embroidery).
The Bangladeshi women are very dexterous(talented) and rich in color sense, and I even think that
the mothers working at Exmattra handicraft are ALL “artists”.
With the proper guidance and environment, they can develop their talents with craftsmanship skills.
Through guiding from the start, I have seen the women who were abused regaining self-confidence through working here.
I believe that women who have self-esteem and independent can become women who can prove women’s potential to their children and to the next generation.
ekmattra handi craft Manager
Shulogna Rema