WOMEN'S WEAVING AND SEWING COOPERATIVE IN SMALL, RURAL COMMUNITY IN BULGARIA
Institution: Women's Weaving and Sewing and Cooperative
Project Summary: This project would provide necessary equipment, materials and training for a women's cooperative to begin producing attractive and unique handmade items, the sale of which would allow women in the community to provide much needed income for both themselves and their families.
Project Costs:
Total Cost of the Program: $15,247.25 ( 30494.5 leva)
Community Contribution: $8765.00 (17532 leva) -- 57.45%
Requested from Partnership Program: $6481.25 (12962.5 leva) -- 42.55%
PEACE CORPS PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM
WOMEN'S WEAVING AND SEWING COOPERATIVE IN SMALL RURAL COMMUNITY IN BULGARIA
Executive Summary
Straldja is a small agricultural community that deals primarily in subsistence farming. Aside from government positions, there are few, if any, means by which women can provide an income for themselves or their families. Although many women have highly developed needlework and other sewing skills, their means of marketing and/or production of stock in the past has been very limited. With the cooperation of women working together as a team to share work skills and creative ideas, with manufacturing space provided by the local municipality, and with the opening of a new and sophisticated craft website operated by a local non-governmental organization, their accumulative skills have a real possibility of finding an outlet. What is needed are the "tools" (equipment, materials and intensive training) to make this cooperative effort a reality. This project is designed to provide work for up to 64 women.
The Project
A women's cooperative is much needed in Straldja, which is a small agricultural municipality of around 16,000 (about 6000 in the principal town of Straldja and the remainder in surrounding villages). The area is severely depressed, with unemployment levels at around 40%. Disposable income is exceedingly small among the population.
Among Bulgarian municipalities, Straldja is ranked among the poorest. By and large, agriculture produced in the area can be considered "subsistence farming" since it provides much of the only food that farmers, their families and their animals eat. In the past decade, most manufacturing facilities in the community have been closed. Although two or three small factories remain, they employ only a minimum number of people, mostly men. Women have no means by which they can earn an income either for themselves or for their families.
However, many Straldja women do have exceptional skills in needlework and many have received training in professional sewing skills. Most of the items they produce, however, are for use within their own homes, because raw materials and marketing potential have not been available.
Creating and developing a women's sewing cooperative would allow women to: (1) plan together to make the most of their skills, (2) work together to create items in greater numbers than would previously have been possible, (3) conduct ongoing research to create the most marketable items, and (4) share ideas and various methods that could be used to make unique items found nowhere else.
Within the past year, the local Business Information Center (a JOBS -- Job Opportunities Through Business Support -- office sponsored by the United Nations Development Program) began creating an elaborate and sophisticated website through which local artisans could sell their work. It is expected to be fully operational in the Fall of 2002. This website could serve as an important means by which items made by the cooperative could be marketed not only in-country but overseas as well.
It is planned that, with equipment and materials purchased through this grant and with the flexibility that the equipment provides, the following high-quality items could be efficiently and economically produced by Straldja women at a lower price than could be purchased elsewhere: carpets and rugs, wool bedcovers, traditional Bulgarian costume "aprons," pillow covers, bags, even knitted sweaters. Training in the use of the looms and in the dyeing process itself would be conducted by a highly trained local artisan, Irina Urumova, who holds a certificate in Applied Textiles Manufacture. Irina has had five years of formal training in the field and today makes her living as an artisan of fine quality crafts.
This proposal is designed to provide a means by which women in the community can earn an income beyond that which comes from subsistence farming, thereby creating the ability to provide for both themselves and their families. Up to 64 new jobs would be created in the community.
Items to be Provided
Space for the women's cooperative, along with a separate space needed for the dyeing process, will be provided by the community. Utilities (electric, water, etc.) for these spaces and smaller size pots for dyeing will also be a part of the community contribution. Additionally, women in the sponsoring organization will scout out dress factories in other communities to obtain free synthetic scrap fabric that can be used in the creation of their woven and knitted handmade items.
This grant would provide the means by which the women can produce their items in larger quantities for sale to both in-country and foreign markets. Space, utilities, smaller dyeing pots, plus labor in gathering scrap synthetic fabric, accounts for 57.45% of the total project expenditures.
Community Contribution:
Work space in public building for 8 looms and 24 workstations:
600 leva ($300) a month
Total for first year: 7200 leva ($3600)
Overseas marketing through CraftCenter.org virtual crafts shop:
600 leva ($300) a month
Total for first year: 7200 leva ($3600)
Initial contribution of materials (now in hand) 800 leva ($400)
15 small dying pots purchased with local funds 300 leva ($150)
Volunteer labor and marketing consultancy 2000 leva ($1000)
Total Local Contribution in First Year
17500 leva ($8750)
TOTAL REQUESTED FROM PCP PROJECT 12994.5 lv ($6497.25)
Total Costs for the Project 17532 leva ($8765)
How the Funds will be Handled
Funds for this project will go into the bank account of the Democratic Women's Union, located in the town of Straldja. Funds provided will be used only for the purchases and training specified in this proposal. Equipment will be purchased on the open market at the best price possible. Prices quoted include VAT (value-added tax, which is 20% in Bulgaria) and reflect an intensive search for the best prices.
All purchases will be authorized and countersigned by both the Director of the Democratic Women's Union and by the Peace Corps volunteer.
The Project Staff
Director of the Democratic Women's Union is Velina Vassileva Haidutova, who has been leading this local group of women for two years as its President. She has been a member of the organization for the past four years. Counterpart for the project is Irina Stoicheva Urumova, member in good standing of the Democratic Women's Union, and a certified specialist in traditional handicrafts.
Partners in the Project are:
Business Information Center -- Straldja, Dobrina Marinova, Marketing Consultant
Municipality of Straldja --Rumyana Mitradjeva, Investment Specialist, plus Dr. Andon Vasilev, Mayor, and Ivan Georgiev, Chair of the Municipal Council
Peace Corps volunteer for the project is Edith Sloan, assigned to the Straldja community as a secondary teacher of English. It was through her teaching a quilting class to community women that such a need became apparent. Her husband, Rel Davis, is also a Peace Corps volunteer in Straldja and works with the Municipality of Straldja.
This project qualifies as a secondary project conducted by the TEFL PCV. It is a priority, however, for both the PCV and the community because it relates to improving the economic lives of area families, including their children.
