The Ersari Turkmen Weaver’s Project   

The Ersari project was started in 1988 to benefit the Turkmen refugees living in Afghanistan. This project continues the cultural art form of weaving by maintaining the traditional aesthetic and quality of dyes and weaving.

History
The Ersari have had a long history as refugees. In recent centuries, they were one of the largest nomadic tribes of Central Asia near Bokhara and Samarkand. The Russian Revolution displaced many Ersari to the south, in northern Afghanistan. Recently, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan uprooted the Ersari once again. Many fled to Pakistan to maintain their religion and traditional ways of life. In Pakistan, as the Ersari Vegetable Dye Weaving Project began to emerge, the refugees embraced the traditional weaving techniques that had gradually faded from their culture. Initially, the Ersari wanted to combine traditional designs and weaving practices. Start-up funds were provided by Cultural Survival in 1988. The Ersari Project used these funds to purchase wool and dyes for the initial rug production. Slowly, the Ersari began to employ a greater range of color and design than many other remote Turkmen tribes.

About the Materials
The principal dyes that are used are madder root for red, indigo for blue, and isparak flower or pomegranate husks for yellow. Combinations of these dyes are used for other color variations. The wool is hand carded, hand spun and from Afghanistan. The wool that is continually sought is the kind most consistent with wool found in antique Ersari Turkmen carpets.

The Ersari Signature
In the corner of many carpets there is a small inscription from the weaving family that includes the date and the weaver's preferred choice of identity, usually "Turkmen Mahajer"-Turkmen refugee. Normally, the inscriptions are in Persian characters (English translations are available) and serves to connect the weavers with the ultimate recipient of the carpet. Since the first production in 1988, the Ersari Project has grown to include 6 Afghanistan refugee camps in Pakistan. These camps produce approximately 3000 rugs a year and employ 750 weavers and 3 designers. Revenue from the very first rug production in 1988 raised enough money to cover production costs as well as some savings to be used for health care costs and assistance for their eventual return to Afghanistan.

The Ersari Academy
The ultimate achievement that has resulted from the Ersari Project is the Ersari Academy. Funds were used to finance a school in Kemalpur, Pakistan, a town largely inhabited by Afghanistan refugees. In 1994, the Ersari Turkmen used their revenue to rent a building for the actual school and to employ 6 teachers and a principal. Currently 176 students are enrolled at the Ersari school. The families of the children who attend the Academy are involved in weaving for the Ersari Project; an additional 50 students are enrolled for next term. All aspects of the school: rent, salaries, supplies and tuition are funded, 100%, from the sale of rugs. Subjects include English, math, history and Persian script, the official language of Afghanistan.