Jawlakhel Handicraft Center

Introduction:

According to research conducted on- Nepal’s industrial sector, it is said that “Until mid-20^th Century, only about 0.66% of Nepal's GDP was derived from the industrial sector .After  which Nepal included industrial development as a major task to  in economic planning. That is when myriad industries majorly related to “tourism, carpet manufacturing, textiles, small rice, jute, sugar, and oilseed mills, cigarettes, cement and brick production”, were started and which  helped Nepal to slowly move  towards sustainable development .”

Amongst these industries Carpet Industry is a promising one. Carpet industry has been creating employment opportunities in Nepal and if records are to be believed has been collecting about $849 million (2009 A.D)  annually by exporting quality carpets/rugs. Amongst the list of such carpet industries of Nepal, one of the name is Jawalakhel (Nepalase: जावलाखेल) Handicraft Center (JHC) which is a Carpet/rugs manufacturing industry located in Jawlakahel.

Generally people think that industry are always profit oriented, JHC breaks this  stereotypical notion and has been working entirely for the betterment of the Tibetans and their families residing in the nation by managing the them in the most resourceful manner.

History Of JHC:

 “Athiti Devo Bhawa” or “God bless Guests” is a saying that is deeply rooted within every Nepalese .After China invaded Tibet in 1959, Tibetans who fled from Tibet and followed H.H. Dalai lama, sought asylum to Nepal. Since then Nepal Government has maintained a healthy relationship with all the Tibetans. JHC is one of the indicators of the bond between Nepal and Tibet which was built on the land given by His Majesty’s government.

Women in the Tibetan family weave carpet at the birth of their daughter and also teach her child (daughter) the basic skill of weaving carpet at a tender age of nine or ten. This very carpet as well as the skill of weaving carpet acts as a direct kinship of the mother and her daughter especially after the daughter gets married.

Back to history again, after Tibetans fled from their native land and entered Nepal yet with the need to survive in a foreign land (Nepal) sans their previous stock of food, money and other possessions . His Majesty’s government (HMG) and Swiss Aid and Technical Assistance (SATA) teamed up and made the decision to help the Tibetan and so converted the refugee center into Jawlakhel Handicraft Center( JHC).Through JHC Tibetan refugees were helped by  commercializing  women’s carpet weaving skill  to produce world’s best quality carpets.