CORR-The Jute Works is a registered charitable Marketing Trust, which was established in September 2, 1973.  It is a rural woman artisans marketing Trust of handicraft.  The    organization    was   registered    with   the DEED No-198, in October 17, 1981.

After the War of Independence, Aiming at ameliorating the plights of the underprivileged rural women, who became dependent on relief, CORR (Christian Organization for Relief and Rehabilitation), now Caritas Bangladesh, carried out a huge program of war reconstruction.  One of the main concerns expressed by the workers in the field was the future of the many war widows and war victims, especially women.  In August 1972, CORR received a letter from CARE Dhaka, which had been sent by its New York office.  The Design Firm of Lesley & Co, New York had offered to help with the development of the handicrafts in Bangladesh.  In January 1973 a young designer, Miss Louise Brooke came to Dhaka for a 6-week period of observation.  She found that a handicraft training Centre already existed, the Jagorani Centre, run by two Catholic Nuns: Sr. Michael Francis and Sr. Mary Lillian.  Rural women were trained for 8 weeks in the manufacture of jute craft and other crafts, which were sold locally.  Thus, they involve in a part-time employment at home earning a supplementary income for the family. 

In June 1973, Harley Snyder, a CPA was seconded to CORR by MCC for two years for organizing a central marketing agency for jute crafts.  Rev. Fr. Richard William Timm drew up a plan for a cooperative jute handicraft project, which would be exclusively for women.  The rural artisan groups were to form the primary societies and CORR-The Jute Works, the marketing Centre, would ultimately become a central handicraft co-operative.  The project was approved by the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development.  An export license obtained in the name of CORR-The Jute Works.

CORR-The Jute Works got underway in September 1973.  CJW opened for the first eight months in the office of OXFAM, which also provided a Land Rover for the use of the project.  OXFAM helped in testing the foreign market through their shops in England.  The OXFAM Director of Bangladesh also served on the Managing Committee of CJW for the first two years.  IRC (International Rescue Committee) contributed the cost of three local employees in the first year of operation.  Several other voluntary agencies gradually became associated with CJW because of their involvement with income-generating activities for poor women.  MCC, CONCERN, YWCA, CHCP and a few smaller organizations formed artisan groups and received training either through the Jagorani or CJW.  Local market was not being existent.  In this circumstance, Rev. Peter MacNee, a missionary from New Zealand on behalf of CJW, voluntarily took the responsibility to find foreign markets for these crafts.  The Third World Shops (now known as Fair Trade Organizations - FTO) sold the crafts of the rural women artisans, through their shops.  Gradually an export market was established to flourish and expand over the years providing employment to increasingly needy rural women.  CJW exported handicrafts to different foreign markets in favour of the poor and grassroots women artisans to ensure their fair wage which lead them to live in dignity.  CJW providing and ensuring ‘Fair trade - not aid’.