Showing posts with label crafts in Kenya. Show all posts
Showing posts with label crafts in Kenya. Show all posts

Saturday, 7 December 2013

Call for Applications CEIP2014

              Craft Afrika would like to invite applications to the 2nd intake of the Craft Enterprise Incubation Program [CEIP].


CEIP class in session
Why CEIP?
The Craft Enterprise Incubation Program was created to provide participants with the tools, skills and information necessary to run sustainable craft enterprises.
The craft sector has often been defined along very narrow and traditional terms that fail to recognize the innovation taking place within the sector. Within this definition, the sector is considered a low priority socioeconomic option and therefore no infrastructure is developed to catalyze its growth.
Against this background, Craft Afrika developed a number of products and services to recognize and support young craftpreneurs who are challenging the old mindset associated with the sector. One of these services is the training program, CEIP.

What is CEIP?
Kristin of Calla [R] going through a product critique
Following an evaluation exercise of the pilot program by consultant Ross van Horn, we restructured the program and developed a leaner, more responsive curriculum. The revised program now runs for             12 weeks [19March - 6June2014] and features the following
*5 modules that cover [a] an intro to craft entrepreneurship [b] product development [c] market access [d] wealth creation and [d] protecting creativity through copyright
*Field trips
*Invited guest talks
*Access to business funds through our partner Kiva
*An exhibit at one of Kenya's top craft fairs, Bizarre Bazaar craft festival
*A 6month structured mentorship program that kicks off immediately after the training
These components work together to provide an experiential learning approach, with participants being encouraged to gain and experiment with knowledge in real time.

How to join CEIP
The program accepts a maximum of 10 students to allow for one on one interaction.
To join the program:
* You must be currently running a craft enterprise
* Availability to attend classes Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, [10am - 4pm] including the exhibition scheduled for mid June                                                        
* The ability to work as part of a team as well as take on leadership responsibilities
* An open mind and a willingness to learn
* Financial capacity to pay the course fee of 30,000 Kenya shillings

To access the application form, click here. Download the form as a word document, fill it out in its entirety and send it back to craft@craftafrika.org by 31January2014 at midnight. Interviews will be conducted 13/14February2014 and successful applicants will be notified by 19February2014.


Scholarship opportunity 
Larrissa of Zamoyo- a student of the first CEIP
Through the generous support of our partner Biz Baz Events, we are able to offer 5 partial scholarships worth 10,000 Kenya shillings each.
These opportunities are open to all interested although preference will be given to practitioners with innovative craft products or who are working within the "growth opportunity" sub sectors including ceramics, glass, children's toys and games, bath and body products, ethnic jewellery, woodwork and home decor items. Please note that this is not an exhaustive list and we encourage you to apply for the opportunity if you feel you have an innovative product.

CEIP alumni comment on the program:

Gillianne Obaso - Ma Phoebe's sauces & relishes "It [CEIP] was a wonderful ambiance of generosity, vulnerability and sharing. The first module was on self-analysis because apparently [and this came as a shock to me] your business practices are a reflection of who you are! It has been a mind bending, eye-opening, gut-wrenching experience and I absolutely loved it!!"

Carol Maina - Estiira Designs "The program was an eye opener in so many aspects; what i am doing, why i am doing it, what I want out of life, what my main focus is..."

Deborah Wanjugu - cultural advocate"CEIP has saved me at least five years of aimless wandering, because i would never have had this clarity of mind and laser sharp focus without this course. Please apply to be in the next cohort. I promise you, it will be worth every penny!" 

Larrissa Muthoni - Zamoyo "My progress is mostly marked in the change of my mindset. I have learned to appreciate my craft and believe that it could be a sustainable career and not a by-the-way hobby. The cultural link to what I do everyday and the responsibility I have as an artist to use my chosen medium to contribute to the preservation of our cultural heritage is what has most resonated with me out of the whole course." 


For more images from our first CEIP, click here

We look forward to receiving your application and best of luck!





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Monday, 10 June 2013

Craftsmanship: The Devil Is In The Detail

During our one year anniversary event on 8June 2013, we engaged 4 panelists on the art of craftsmanship, and why it is key to the success of your business.

Speakers on the panel included Aprelle Duany, CEO- Kiko Romeo, Robert Topping, Co-director and Design & Technical manager- Rift Valley Leather, Anthony Mulli, Founder- Katchy Kollections and Goodie Odhiambo, CEO- Goodies African Interiors and Gifts.

The discussion focused on why craftsmanship is such a slippery concept.
If paying attention to detail will earn you more money, and put you well on the path of brand success, why is it difficult to grasp and implement? Why are craftpreneurs continuously churning out mediocrity?
We compiled the discussion using our live Tweeter feed. 

1. Process- lacking the patience for and understanding of it
          Quality and craftsmanship- the two elements essential to the creation of any brand. They both take time, research, energy and most important, process. Process assures consistency, a hallmark of quality. And yet not many people have the patience-nor the appreciation- for process.

2. The pain that is outsourcing
          It happens all the time. You get an order from your client to make a bag. You take it to your 'fundi' in Kibera with explicit instructions on what to do. You even include 3D sketches. But alas... the result is the stuff nightmares are made of.

3. Wrong tool for the right job- and the other way around. And not maintaining either
          The culture of maintenance is a rarity. Not unique to the workshop floor, lack of it is evident everywhere. Our roads, street lights, drainage systems, buildings-name it. We strive to build, buy and own, then quickly discard, leaving its care to mother nature.

 4. Misrepresenting your customer
          If you have identified a certain segment of the market as your desired customer base, have you understood whether craftsmanship is a priority to them? And are you able to meet this expectation?

5. Not valuing what you do
          Too often we meet the 'kazi ni kazi' diehards- the kind that will do anything, entrepreneurs looking for a quick buck. Nothing wrong with it, except a lack of appreciation for design, process, quality and all those wonderful things that enhance the value of craft as a symbol of cultural heritage.

6. Supplies. Or the lack of them
          According to Robert Topping, Rift Valley Leather is unable to access quality zipper or buckle supplies locally. This is in fact a challenge faced by many a craftpreneur. Jacqui Resley of Spinners Web says that she cannot get her supplier to consistently deliver the same quality of clay for her ceramics. Patricia Nightingale's biggest nightmare at Kenana Knitters is getting sufficient quantities of good quality wool year round.

          What was apparent from this discussion was that while some of these challenges are manageable, some can get a little overwhelming, such as trying to control aspects of the supply chain. But for those that you can handle, where do you begin?

1. Be your toughest critic
          If you set out to create an A-class product, then you cannot afford to cut any corners. Set high standards and meet them every time.  Designer Lena Hanzel once said that "each [of my] product[s] must fulfill my own personal expectations to the extent that it makes it hard to even sell."

2. Choose your outsourcing partner carefully
          It may take time, but it is absolutely imperative to engage an outsourcing partner who has the same work ethic as you do. And when you do, put in place measures to safeguard consistent quality.

3. Do not take your customers for granted
          Constantly study your customer and strive to meet their demand for quality. And don't be tempted to be like the fellow they speak of in this proverb - mgema akisifiwa tembo hulitia maji [if the palm tapper is praised, he dilutes the palm wine with water]. 

4. Purpose to build a brand. Then do whatever it takes
          Lack of exposure (research) leads to what i like to call 'nakala mania' loosely translated to mean serial copy cat. Negate research and face serious challenges coming up with original design concepts. And if as a result you find yourself tempted to copy, say, a Rift Valley Leather bag, Robert Topping suggests that you must make sure you have the means (quality raw materials, proper tools, level of skill) to do so. Only then will he consider it sincere flattery.

 5. Yes, there is value in what you do!
          How many times have you been asked if your craft enterprise is your only source of income? While it may or may not be, this is the one conversation you must never engage in. Let your craftsmanship [and the resulting profits] speak on your behalf.

          What was apparent during the discussion was that there are no shortcuts- craftsmanship is what will separate you from the rest, the one thing that will allow you to charge a premium for your product.

For purposes of this compilation, we dug into our archives and found two conversations we have had with Ben Handa, CEO-Woodley Weavers and Jacqui Resley, CEO- Spinners Web Kenya. We had asked them what their secrets to success were. The first answer is by Ben Handa, the second by Jacqui Resley.



Six experienced craftpreneurs, one recurring answer to a successful enterprise. Craftsmanship.



 Curated for Craft Afrika by Christine Gitau| June 2013







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