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Sustainability

Pomegranate Seeds is a fair-trade business. We believe that fair-trade and sustainability go hand in hand, which is why we consider the environmental and socio-economic impact of each and every one of our products. We do not want to leave a negative footprint and so we work on improving all stages of the product life cycle – from design, acquiring raw materials, and the reusing and recycling of products. We, as an organization, aim to minimize any undesired environmental effects by ensuring an effective use of natural resources such as water and electricity. We use 100% cotton instead of petroleum derived synthetics such as nylon, polyester and acrylic. At the moment, there is no technology to separate blended fibers, however, a product made with 100% cotton is biodegradable, recyclable, environmentally friendly and sustainable. Here, at Pomegranate Seeds, we purchase pre-existing raw materials from reliable suppliers. Our resources do not harm the earth and our designs are zero-waste (the patterns we opt for result in zero waste). We believe that in order to move towards social justice and ecological integrity, our fashion must be sustainable. Furthermore, we ensure that our products do not just contribute to the environment, but that they also contribute to our society as well.

 

COVID-19

The biggest issue faced by our women artisans is commuting to work. Due to the patriarchal norms present in their communities, it is inconvenient for these women to leave their homes on a daily basis. Unfortunately, during the pandemic, our artisans were left with no work. It became impossible for them to go door-to-door taking orders. There was a gap that was created, and a gap that needed to be filled. To cope with this, we decided that instead of our artisans visiting us, we would visit them and give them the orders. This allowed us to follow the necessary SOPs. While many businesses were forced to shut down during this pandemic, with the help of our artisans, we were able to stay open. Our team of artisans were able to work from home and we are lucky that we were able to continue to support them throughout the tough year.

 

MADE51

Our journey began at an exhibition last year in Quetta that was being sponsored by UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees). We worked with our team of women artisans to create and display cushions, bags, table runners and more. The response we received was overwhelming and we won the award for the best stall. Following this, we partnered with MADE51 as a local social enterprise and became a part of their pilot project.
MADE51 is an organization that brings local refugee products to global markets. Already well established in 14 countries, MADE51 has built a good relationship with social enterprises around the world, just like us. The organization helps displaced refugees and encourages them to harness their artistic skills. By doing that, these refugee women are able to be a part of the economy and secure their own financial futures. MADE51 products are handcrafted by women refugees and many of these women have escaped war and hardships. By making these products, these women are able to rebuild their livelihoods and reinstate their independence. The organization creates a way for refugees to preserve their cultures.
For more information about MADE51 check out their website at https://www.made51.org/

 

CONCERN

CONCERN is a global philanthropic organization that aims to rid the world of poverty, fear and oppression. The organization delivers life-changing interventions to the world’s poorest communities and people. From emergency responses to innovative programming, the organization ensures that everyone is taken care of. The organization has been working with underrepresented communities and individuals for over 50 years and has spent 19 years working in Pakistan alone.

We attribute a big part of our success to CONCERN. Representatives from the organization educated and supported us on our road to being a better business. They took charge of the monetary aspect of our business process. The team brought us up to speed with our finances and trained us to record all our transactions – even those as small as 10 PKR. Through this training, our funds were made transparent and we were able to ensure that not a penny got wasted. Through CONCERN’s involvement, we were able to achieve our goals and become the organization we are today.

For more information about CONCERN, check out their website at https://www.concern.net/