Aarong A BRAC Social Enterprise Crafting better lives for 65,000 rural artisans Background Aarong emanated from

BRACs core mission of alleviating poverty and empowering people. In the 1970s, BRAC was examining any and all possibilities for alternative forms of productive livelihood, especially for women, and the proper commercialization of art and crafts turned out to be a promising option. In December 1978 when BRAC decided to open its own retail outlet under the brand name Aarong, meaning village fair, it broadened its arms to include other artisans and master craftsmen throughout Bangladesh who were involved in the making of handicrafts for generations, and were finding it extremely difficult to survive in the newly formed country. Ever since then Aarong has been helping to establish market linkages for rural artisans, revive crafts and interpret them for the contemporary marketplace. Aarong today Today, Aarong's reach has spread from where it started, Manikganj, to the rest of the country. From a single shop, Aarong has grown into one of Bangladesh's biggest retail chains offering one-stop shopping experience through 10 stores spread across the major metropolitan areas of the country - in Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna and Sylhet and one in London, UK. Aarong showcases over 100 product categories from clothing to household items, gifts and fashion accessories to childrens toys, ethnic wear to beautiful crafts, from silks, handloom cotton, Endi to Terracotta, bamboo, jute and much more. Aarongs target customers include - The urban and middle to upper class Bangladeshis and expatriates; - Bangladeshis living abroad who are looking for products that connect them to their country and roots and represent their identity as a Bangladeshi; - Foreigners visiting Bangladesh, as Aarong is a must-visit destination that has a prominent mention in The Lonely Planet guide to Bangladesh. The Aarong impact Today, Aarong's reach has spread from where it started, Manikganj, to the rest of the country. From a single shop, Aarong has spread its reach throughout the country with 13 Ayesha Abed Foundation Centres (with nearly 600 sub-centres) catering to over 1000 artisan groups and entrepreneurs and ensures the livelihood of over 65,000 (80% women) artisans and their families, thus directly benefiting around 320,000 people. The enterprise has over 2300 people (60% being women) employed, and ploughs back its profit into BRACs development initiatives both economic and social, such as, free health programs, micro credit, legal services, education etc.