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We kickstarted this year with a series of sewing workshops in our partner communities in Ghanzi District — starting in East Hanahai on 30th January, and continuing in the villages of West Hanahai, Kacgae and Bere on the 1st, 3rd and 4th of February respectively. These villages lay within key critical wildlife conservation areas in the western Kalahari. These villages are hot spots for human-wildlife conflict and retaliatory killings of carnivores, land use change to agriculture and poaching threaten the viability of this beautiful, biodiverse landscape. While there are very limited economic activities available for social development, communities are handicapped to deal with these challenges. These communities play critical conservation roles in this important cheetah landscape, so their holistic wellbeing and prosperity, particularly through economic activities linked with wildlife and the environment, has the potential for catalysing sustainable change for these areas.
The communities of East and West Hanahai, Kacgae and Bere highlighted their aim to expand cultural tourism activities within their communities. Craft production, especially of traditional ostrich egg-shell jewellery is a skill held by many of the men and women within these communities, but help was needed to expand this and other craft production knowledge and share it within and across the different communities. By bringing in experts in craft manufacturing and marketing and through the provision of materials and facilitating orders, CCB is working to develop a sustainable and productive craft development initiatives within these communities.
The workshops in January aimed to harness existing sewing skills while also further developing the interest already present among other participants. According to Refilwe Baatweng, Community for Conservation Officer, “the general mood was top tier excitement, and the craft producers were keen to learn.” She further added, “I think the excitement stemmed from them now finally starting to make something, they all learnt how to sew bags and cushion covers – including putting in a zip. They were motivated to start making crafts”.
A total of 12 participants were trained across the four villages during the workshops, which was attended by larger groups of craft makers, and they are well on their ways to being shining examples of how great collaborations can birth remarkable results. We are very optimistic that these kinds of skills will bring income opportunities to the participants, who will also transfer the skills they learnt to others each step of the way. Craft producers now have alternative sources of income and we are working with a range of stakeholders to develop craft shops in these villages to help them sell their goods to a wider market.
The communities of East and West Hanahai, Kacgae and Bere highlighted their aim to expand cultural tourism activities within their communities. Craft production, especially of traditional ostrich egg-shell jewellery is a skill held by many of the men and women within these communities, but help was needed to expand this and other craft production knowledge and share it within and across the different communities. By bringing in experts in craft manufacturing and marketing and through the provision of materials and facilitating orders, CCB is working to develop a sustainable and productive craft development initiatives within these communities.
The workshops in January aimed to harness existing sewing skills while also further developing the interest already present among other participants. According to Refilwe Baatweng, Community for Conservation Officer, “the general mood was top tier excitement, and the craft producers were keen to learn.” She further added, “I think the excitement stemmed from them now finally starting to make something, they all learnt how to sew bags and cushion covers – including putting in a zip. They were motivated to start making crafts”.
A total of 12 participants were trained across the four villages during the workshops, which was attended by larger groups of craft makers, and they are well on their ways to being shining examples of how great collaborations can birth remarkable results. We are very optimistic that these kinds of skills will bring income opportunities to the participants, who will also transfer the skills they learnt to others each step of the way. Craft producers now have alternative sources of income and we are working with a range of stakeholders to develop craft shops in these villages to help them sell their goods to a wider market.
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Craft skills developed included traditional ostrich eggshell beadwork, sewing and painting.
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