PROGRAMS
TELL US YOUR STORY:
SKILLS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
Fashion Apparel Design and Training Institute (FADIN) is a Fashion Design Management and Artisan training school for girls which is a philanthropically funded and supported by the local government in Karachi, Pakistan. Ambreen Khan, one of the founders of Empyrean Foundation, has been involved with the school as a creator of the program, principal, and an educator in fashion technology, textile, and artisan training for ten years.
FADIN school of fashion offer underprivileged girls from the city and rural areas an opportunity to learn the skills in the areas of fashion, apparel design, design management, and textile with 1-2 years of diploma courses. We have trained more than 5000 girls over the last several years and planning to increase the numbers through outreach and expanding the facility. Empyrean Foundation helps the girls with 100% funding through philanthropic contribution, and other donations - in some case raise money for stipends for the students where the students are the chief earners for their respective families and have to take time away from any form of work. The goal is to prepare young girls to enter the local job market with skills or start small businesses and generate sustainable income, in many cases, for their families. Roughly about 70% of the graduates work in the fashion and apparel market. Using FADIN as the local base for educating girls from impoverished and underprivileged backgrounds is part of the Empyrean Foundation's mission to empower women and girls, and hone in on their artistic skills. Additionally, we provide life coaching and counseling to help adjust to the changing economic and social landscape as a result of starting a new business or a job.
ARTISAN SUPPORT PROGRAM
Empyrean Foundation has been working with local partners such as BRAC and AKRSP in Pakistan since 2014 on consulting, and artisan training, and crafts intervention projects. BRAC is one of the biggest international development organization in the world. Aga Khan Rural Support Program provides program is one of the largest non-profits in world supporting programs across Asia and Africa.
The province of Baluchistan is situated in the southwestern part of Pakistan Baluchistan and has a long tradition of local handicrafts and embroidery inspired by local traditions. Baluchistan also has a large population living in extreme poverty, mostly living in the rural areas. Empyrean working with BRAC has helped develop a program, a first of its kind, focused on training local women and girls in artisan craft and taking their work to the market. We have prepared 450 females in indigenous handicraft with coursework in marketing and merchandising. As part of this program, we have helped establish seven production centers managed and run by the already trained artisans.