India's basket programme empowers African women

India is helping in the empowerment of African women through a unique initiative being undertaken in coordination with the internationallyrenowned National Institute of Design NID AhmedabadAs part of the IndiaAfrica Forum SummitII held in Addis Ababa in May 2011 the Indian government offered a major design intervention to women basket weavers in five countries in Africa A workshop for instance was held this monthThe project is being implemented by the NID Ahmedabad under Indiarsquos department of industrial policy and promotion in the ministry of commerce and industry and is supported by the Ministry of External Affairs MEA Its thrust is to empower rural weavers in Zimbabwe Ethiopia Ghana Malawi and ZambiaThe NID in association with South Africabased NGO The New Basket Workshop TNBW as project consultant commenced the project in Ethiopia in November 2013 Approximately 50 new products have been developed which have promising market potential both domestically and internationallyThe project programme comprised three training workshops for Ethiopian basket weavers the first being a scoping field trip in November 2013 in December 2013 representatives from five associations from Ethiopiarsquos Oromiya state as well as from the retail and NGO sector travelled to India to participate in workshops at the NID The final workshop took place this month in Addis Ababa and included weavers from Harar is eastern EthiopiaEthiopian basket weavers and associated support personnel exchanged views and expertise with Indian artisans academics NGOs and retail specialists The final session was held at Salemrsquos Design studiospace in central Addis Ababa Salemrsquos which has an excellent reputation for designing supporting and retailing Ethiopian craft is known for handicrafts and is spreading the learning to the wider community of Ethiopian weaversThe combined detailed knowledge of local conditions available materials together with sensitive design collaboration makes for sustainable outcomes with vastly increased income generating possibilities After the completion of training their products have been displayed and were open to visitors and different officials in Addis AbabaAt the opening Indiarsquos Ambassdor to Ethiopia Sanjay Verma said that the purpose of the initiative was to sensitively adapt the basket making traditions practices and challenges facing Africarsquos women basket weavers through drawing on the experience and knowledge of Indiarsquos traditional craft and highly developed design sectorsThis programme has brought together fantastic elements and ideas from NID one of Indiarsquos finest institutions and probably the greatest designing school in Asia he said adding that the government of India supported the move to empower women in EthiopialdquoWe are thankful to the Ethiopian government for having partnered with us in this programme But this in many senses was the easy part of the project of injecting skills creativity Now bringing that to the market commercialising it and sustaining it is what is requiredrdquo Verma saidThe products are beautiful and creative and the projects and experiments that touch people at a grassroots level become an elemental aspect of the larger cooperation between the two countries and is an example of dedicationldquoMy friends and colleagues at the NID and we hope that the support of the Ethiopian government will continue to this project through Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Association AACCSA and Ethiopian Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral association ECCSA the businessmen and the middle classrdquo the Indian envoy saidldquoWe all need to support traditional art because this is part of our identity our essence of culture India can be an example in this time of machineproduced mass consumer goods but there is also space for indigenous productsrdquo he addedAccording to Verma the same socioeconomic process that India went through a few years back to get here is happening in Ethiopia now ldquoWe can adopt modernity and convenience but we can also keep alive our culture at the same timerdquo he statedWith the aim of increasing income generation opportunities the project scope includes training of trainers collaboration on product development and product range diversification and brand building In all 125 weavers will be trained at the NIDrsquos campus during the course of the programme 25 from each of the five countries The workshop at the NIDrsquos Ahmedabad campus involved a twoweeklong exchange of technical skills comparison of marketing experiences and roundtable discussionsThe initial outcomes of this great crosscultural project have yielded results that go beyond a range of new techniques forms colours and designs Although the products are in the early days of their marketing cycle and it is too early for sales feedback the participants said what they have learned was far more important than new products and techniquesThe weavers also stated that armed with their new knowledge of techniques materialsrsquo capacities and some adapted better tools they can continue to extend the product ranges themselves and teach others how to do the sameldquoThe India basket programme has given me confidence to my creativityrdquo said Meseret Edeo a mother of six who is one of the trainees from a small town called Debre Tsion in Ethiopia ldquoI am so happy that I was part of this training and I know it will change our lives because now we know how to professionally weaverdquo said MeseretldquoThe training we took was in detail and we now even know the technical way of making baskets Before we only used to use three colours but now we can just buy the grass and paint it in a way we want We will now be able to make our own products according to the customersrsquo orders and our tasterdquo she added IANSHadra Ahmed can be contacted at hadraahmedgmailcom