Friendship NGO has a vision of a world where everyone will have equal opportunity to live with dignity and hope. We aim to bring about lasting change to break the cycle of poverty.

They work together with vulnerable people in remote communities to help them transform their lives. A particular effort goes to empower women by helping them to earn their own income through vocational training. Vulnerable women are offered training in weaving, dyeing and printing on fabrics, giving them key skills to enable them to create income for themselves. After completion of the training, the trainees either work in our production centers, seek employment elsewhere or start work independently from home.

The Bangladeshi River Islands are harsh and unforgiving, but they are home to women of the kindest and determined nature. Despite their fortunes, these beautiful souls embraced our free training programmes to learn how to weave. The women of the river islands use only traditional techniques of weaving (handlooms), dyeing, printing and embroidery. The materials used are cotton and silk. And colours applied are 100% natural dye or Azo Free.

What may surprise you, is how they used that skill to stitch their own passion and compassion into beautiful hand-woven fabrics. Today we share their stories of change to you and the world, through little tokens of pure love.

“It’s a powerful disadvantage, to be trapped from all financial, social, and personal sides of life. This changed when I joined Friendship NGO. Apart from myself earning more than my family members combined, I am admired for my skills and finally have the power to change my own life with my own hands.”

Musammad Moni Begum, Friendship Weaver for 9 Years at Khamar Holokhana (Kurigram, Rangpur).