Creative Handicrafts was faced with a new challenge then with women who needed an opportunity since they were coming from financially disadvantaged situations but couldn’t learn to sew. Established in 2000, Asli Food, started as a project put into place to offer a different path to these women, they were offering a catering service, cooking packed meals.

When the pandemic started Asli couldn’t continue operating since food deliveries were facing serious difficulties. After six months of paying salaries without being able to continue with its activity the team decided to reopen, a reduced personnel was one of the propositions as an effort to keep Asli Food alive.

Considering Asli Food’s customer base was composed of company workers in the surroundings during this after-covid period with people working from home the project was facing an immense loss of customers. Intense competition in the food delivery market became a real threat and Asli Food wasn’t able to keep up, leading the board to decide to cease its activity. “We need to face the reality, after 20 years we’re facing the need for a new idea” said Johny Joseph, the director of Creative Handcrafts.

The new project set in place was to repurpose the space that Asli Food was occupying in Creative Handicrafts’ main building to develop a unit for knitwear; a new range of products to be added in the cooperative’s portfolio, as required by the clients’ and will be soon attracting new customers. 16 women are now in charge of producing knitwear garments.