The Kurava community migrated from Tamil Nadu and settled along the banks of the Nila River where they followed mat weaving traditions for many generations. Unfortunately, because of low financial returns and scarce raw materials, the community to lost interest in traditional weaving, leaving only one practitioner, Mr. U. Chami, who took the tradition forward for many years through the Killimangalam Weaving Cooperative Society. However, due to ill health at the age of 72, Chami left weaving behind. But before retiring, he taught traditional weaving skills to a non-native Kurava—Mrs. P. Prabhavathi. Today, Prabhavathi still holds Chami in high regard for his initiatives to train interested people, even those from outside the community. This willingness to train others laid foundation for the craft’s survival. For his efforts, Chami was recognized with the Master Craftsman Award by the Textile Ministry of India in 1992.

Chairperson of Maldives Authentic Crafts Cooperate Society (MACCS) and an advisory board member of Homenet South Asia, Aminath has been dedicating her work to the revival of traditional handicraft in the Maldives and empowering homebased workers, especially women. With Aminath’s leadership, MACCS has facilitated the market for buying and selling some traditional handicrafts while creating and establishing a network of homebased workers and crafters across the country. The women led corporative, MACCS has also completed projects on restoration and regeneration for natural vegetation, strengthening the livelihood initiative of homebased workers in the SAARC region, strengthening of market links for sustainable hau cultivation in Fiyori, livelihood support program for wetland management-climate change adaptation and piloting alternatives to single use plastic bags in Male’ amongst others. Aminath, has documented various traditional crafts emphasizing the need for supporting sustainable livelihood activities

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Maldives Authentic Crafts Cooperative Society (MACCS) is a handicraft cooperative, developing and marketing authentic handicraft items of the rural artisans. Based in the capital Malé, MACCS was founded by a group of women to assist and promote the development of the local handicrafts industry. Registered in 2011, MACCS promotes local arts and crafts and facilitates market access for local products. MACCS is committed, through its cooperative, to support & educate local communities in the revival of handicrafts and thereby make it a sustainable livelihood activity.

Prabartana is a social enterprise, working since 1986 with the artisans related to handloom for market linkage and revival of Tangail Taant shaari. The organisation provides training to the weavers with improved technical enhancement like documentation of pattern in computer instead of manual style of Jacquard patter design. As a safeguarding action they are involved in artisans’ exhibition and workshop for cultural exchange, audio-visual documentations and publications of books, social media based promotions and audience development with the use of website, webpage, newspaper articles and festival relevant brochures. Resource mobilisation is done through individual investments and collaborations with Government organisations for tourism and craft. The initiatives have helped ICH practitioners to acquire skills and enhance livelihood opportunities. Most of the beneficiaries are women from the marginalized communities living in the remote villages. They are now working for the revival several near lost performing folk art forms like Banbibir Pot (Sundarban), Chunaibibir Gaan (Chittagong), Song Jatra (Tangail), Meyeli Geet (Tangail, Kishorganj & Mymensingh) and Alkap (Chapai). They are also working on the crafts and musical instruments of Monipuri community.

The public foundation "CACSARC-kg" was created on the basis of the Central Asian Association for the Support of Crafts (CACSA) - one of the leading non-governmental organizations in the region with an open membership, working in the field of development of the handicraft sector, whose head office was in Bishkek from 2000 to 2008.\nAt its creation, CACSA consisted of several enthusiasts of the region's craft movement, and by 2009, over eight years, CACSA had created a regional network of 76 organizations (from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Mongolia) and implemented more than 50 projects in the field the development and support of crafts, where more than 5,000 artisans across the region have directly and indirectly benefited. During these eight years, CACSA has gained significant experience in the development of the artisan sector of the region, providing artisans with training, marketing and international promotion services.\nAt the end of 2008, the head office of CACSA, according to its Charter, moved to Almaty (Kazakhstan), and in March 2009 “CACSARC-kg” was registered as an independent public fund to continue activities in Kyrgyzstan for the development of crafts and traditional culture.

To provide artisans with the opportunity to realize their creative capacity, and to insure that craft traditions remained genuine cultural heritage, Judy Frater began a design education program for artisans in Kutch. In 2005, Kala Raksha Vidhyalaya opened its doors to artisan students: traditional weavers, ajrakh printers, bandhani artists, and embroiderers, with no further prerequisites of age or formal education.\nIn 2014, the year-long program evolved and expanded to Somaiya Kala Vidya. In six two-week intensive residential sessions spread over a year, artisan students learn to innovate within their traditions. nThe most innovative tool that we use in our design classes is simply to present problems to solve. We also draw on local traditions and teach as practically as possible. In effect, the design course re-imagines traditional systems in an appropriate contemporary form. Master artisan advisors teach students about traditions, as children once learned from elders; weavers, printers, and dyers learning together revitalizes the inherent interdependence in traditional textiles; and interface with urban markets reinvents direct contact with hereditary clients.\nAfter design education for artisans in Kutch reached its goals, Somaiya Kala Vidya is scaling out their approach to other regions. Keeping cultural heritage as the foundation, they intend to teach design within regions, drawing on local language and culture.