{"id":11510,"date":"2025-08-06T11:23:17","date_gmt":"2025-08-06T05:23:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/source.prokritee.com\/?p=11510"},"modified":"2025-10-02T18:45:37","modified_gmt":"2025-10-02T12:45:37","slug":"meet-rabeya-akter-from-struggle-to-strength-through-sustainable-craftsmanship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/source.prokritee.com\/index.php\/2025\/08\/06\/meet-rabeya-akter-from-struggle-to-strength-through-sustainable-craftsmanship\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet Rabeya Akter: From Struggle to Strength Through Sustainable Craftsmanship"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Rabeya Akter<\/b>, a talented and resilient woman artisan, is one of many hardworking producers at the <\/span>Shuktara Handmade Paper Project<\/b>, a fair trade production unit supported by <\/span>Prokritee<\/b> in Bangladesh. Her journey is one of hardship, hope, and empowerment, and it reflects the impact that fair trade and sustainable employment can have on women\u2019s lives.<\/span><\/p>

A Difficult Beginning<\/b><\/h1>

Rabeya was born into poverty in a large family. Her father, a farmer, often struggled to provide even the most basic necessities. \u201cWe didn\u2019t have enough food,\u201d she recalls, \u201cand we had to share each other\u2019s clothes. Buying new ones, even during festivals, was impossible.\u201d Education was never an option for Rabeya or her siblings, and as the eldest daughter, she felt a deep responsibility to support her family.<\/span><\/p>

As she grew older, Rabeya actively searched for work, but without any formal education or experience, doors remained closed. \u201cNo one would hire me because I didn\u2019t have an education or work experience,\u201d she said. It was during this time of rejection and uncertainty that Rabeya discovered the <\/span>Shuktara Handmade Paper Project<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>

Finding Hope at Shuktara Handmade Paper<\/b><\/h1>

Established in 1989 in the town of <\/span>Feni<\/b>, the <\/span>Shuktara Handmade Paper Project<\/b> was created to provide sustainable employment for disadvantaged women through traditional papermaking and eco-friendly crafts. The unit produces <\/span>jute-based paper<\/b> and creates a range of beautiful products, including <\/span>decorated cards, lampshades, photo albums, gift boxes, stationery sets, and wrapping paper<\/b>. Over time, the artisans expanded their skills and now also make <\/span>bags, purses, and accessories<\/b> using <\/span>tribal fabrics, leather, grass mats, jute, and cotton fabrics<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>

At Shuktara, Rabeya found something she hadn\u2019t found anywhere else: <\/span>a safe, supportive environment where her potential was recognized<\/b>. She received hands-on training and quickly began creating paper products with care and creativity. Eventually, she learned to craft eco-friendly bags, which allowed her to diversify her skills and increase her income.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cShuktara gave me a place where I felt safe and happy. For the first time, I was valued for my work,\u201d Rabeya shared. Her earnings became a source of hope\u2014not just for herself, but for her siblings and her young daughter as well. Even after getting married and facing pressure from her in-laws to stop working, she remained steadfast. \u201cI\u2019ve made my position clear\u2014I cannot abandon my siblings,\u201d she said.<\/span><\/p>

A Story Shared by Many<\/b><\/h1>

Rabeya is just one of the many <\/span>brilliant and hardworking artisans<\/b> at the Shuktara Handmade Paper Project. Each woman has a unique story of struggle and transformation, bound together by their shared commitment to creating beautiful, handmade products rooted in <\/span>Bangladeshi heritage and sustainability<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>

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Rabeya Akter, a talented and resilient woman artisan, is one of many hardworking producers at the Shuktara Handmade Paper Project,<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":49,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11510","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/source.prokritee.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11510","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/source.prokritee.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/source.prokritee.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/source.prokritee.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/49"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/source.prokritee.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11510"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/source.prokritee.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11510\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13264,"href":"https:\/\/source.prokritee.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11510\/revisions\/13264"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/source.prokritee.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11510"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/source.prokritee.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11510"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/source.prokritee.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11510"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}