UNDP Special Unit for South-South Cooperation 304 East 45th Street, FF-12 New York, NY 10017, USA (Phone) +1 212 906 5123
Ação Comunitaria do Brasil /RJ Praça Mahatma Gandhi, nº 2 Cinelândia - Centro Rio de Janeiro - RJ Cep: 20031-100, Brazil (Phone) +55 21 2253-6443
LAVINCA Lake Victoria and Nyanza Creative Arts Association P.O. Box 1694, Kisumu, Kenya (Phone) +0031 254 73371 1641
publication presents the works THE MAKING OF THIS This of young artists and artisans in CATALOGUE Kisumu, Kenya. It was compiled through a co-
operation initiative titled “Creative Start-up Businesses for Kenya’s Youth” aimed at promoting a culture of business creation and businesses based on culture and creativity. It is meant to demonstrate the potential of these artists to unlock the value chain by which social actors and creative production processes transform art and culture into economic wealth. Transforming talent and creativity into profitable ventures requires some entrepreneurial skills, community organization, product distribution networks, and often a little confidence and encouragement.
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This cooperation project between the non-governmental organizations Ação Comunitária do Brasil do Rio de Janeiro (ACB/RJ) and the Lake Victoria and Nyanza Creative Arts Association (LAVINCA), in partnership with the Special Unit for South-South Cooperation (SU/SSC) in the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), supported all of these areas.
The project “Creative Start-up Businesses for Kenya’s Youth” consisted of: • A workshop to provide feedback to creative economy practitioners on the design, marketability, functionality and sales potential of their creations so as to enhance their creative and productive efforts. This workshop sought not only to develop participants’ artistic skills but also to provide them with micro-enterprise management tools. • A curatorship exercise through which the works in this catalogue were selected, bearing in mind balanced regional and genre representation, and their high quality and innovative nature. The production and distribution of this catalogue are part of a strategy to open sales networks for these artists and artisans. • The sharing of experiences between experts from LAVINCA and ACB/RJ. LAVINCA received training in the methods of ACB/RJ, which has a successful record in improving the livelihoods of talented youth and adults from underprivileged backgrounds through the development of creative enterprises, while ACB/RJ learned from the work and experiences of LAVINCA.
It is important to emphasize that the items presented in this catalogue are only a sample of creative production possibilities in Kisumu. The broad cultural diversity of this country is well known and is reflected in its varied creative products. Besides conventional pieces of fine art conventionally presented in catalogues, we included crafts and a broad range of decorative products and items for everyday use that are handmade on a small scale through processes that contribute significant value added and an economic dimension to creative output. Moreover, many of these items, such as necklaces, bracelets, rings and earrings made from waste paper, also have intrinsic symbolic value and environmentally friendly characteris-
tics. This range of products sheds light on the vast scope of the creative economy and on the multiple dimensions of many of its outputs. This catalogue aims to show that South-South cooperation is a powerful tool for scaling up ideas and practices that lead to alternative ways of generating income and promoting social justice. It also seeks to deepen the technical expertise and practical experience of LAVINCA in order for it to continue empowering talented individuals to develop better livelihoods in Kisumu, Kenya. Above all, this publication is intended to contribute to unlocking the potential of these young artists to reach local, national and international markets. We hope that you will find some of this catalogue’s products or pieces of interest. For orders or inquiries, please contact directly the artisans, artists or organizations listed on page 77.
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This project has been selected as a pioneer initiative to be listed and funded through the Human Development Investment Exchange (HDSX) platform, a marketplace developed by UNDP to facilitate South-South cooperation among civil society organizations. It has been chosen as an HDSX grant recipient because of its potential to provide tangible solutions to Kenya’s need for a greater number of sustainable livelihoods, particularly for underprivileged youth.
Created in 1999, LAVINCA seeks to promote and create awareness of Kenyan arts and culture. Moreover, this NGO was set up to provide an opportunity for young Kenyan artists, particularly those from Kisumu, to express themselves. Its programme includes initiatives that aim to bring artists together and offer an opportunity to share ideas and experiences. LAVINCA specializes in tie-dye and batik work, visual arts, sculpture and ornaments. The association was also created to tackle social issues such as teen-
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age school drop-outs and poverty and devise ways and means to improve daily lives in the communities where it operates. Presently, LAVINCA is developing the necessary infrastructure to roll out new activities and enhance the impact of its daily work.
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Since its foundation more than 40 years ago, AÇÃO COMUNITÁRIA DO BRASIL DO RIO DE JANEIRO (ACB/RJ), a non-governmental organization (NGO), has been offering educational and professional opportunities to low-income groups, particularly Afro-descendants, youth and women who live in a risk situation. A formal member of the Brazilian Association of NGOs (ABONG) and the Council for the Education of Adults in Latin America, it is also affiliated to the Civil Society Forum coordinated by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). Recently, ACB/RJ undertook the initiative to promote the creative economy through productive workshops, which are included in its “Professional Qualification” and “Arts, Aesthetics and Culture” programme. These workshops are in such areas as: gastronomy (ethnic buffet, community bakery), beauty and style (Afro-hair, manicure, make-up, community beauty salon), carpentry, fashion and style (modelling, cutting and sewing, silkscreen, graffiti, ethnic fashion, oil painting, design and recycling (ceramics, mosaics, paper recycling). The family of products and services provided by ACB/RJ and its productive groups combines the result of social and cultural experiences and increasing market demand for goods and services that, in addition to having price/quality and social value, are produced within a creative-economy and fairtrade framework to fulfil their potential role in delivering so-
cial development solutions. So, besides functioning as an incubator of productive groups, the primary objective of the Ação Comunitária programme is to develop, in a cooperative way, pieces and creative accessories for commercialization that guarantee excellence, which results in income-generation and self-sustainability. In 2005, the NGO was visited by Doudou Diène, the Special Rapporteur of the Economic and Social Council Commission on Human Rights (United Nations), who cited and recommended its work in his report on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance. In the international sphere, ACB/RJ has consolidated prominent partnerships with international organizations and NGOs in other Southern countries, uniting efforts to promote social inclusion and the development of opportunities in an original and effective manner. In 2006, within the International Creative Economy initiative lead by the UNDP Special Unit for South-South Cooperation, ACB/RJ was chosen to coordinate the pilot experience that focused on artistic (visual arts) and cultural (performances) production. The exchange brought together artists from ACB/RJ and two NGOs from East Africa (Kenya and Rwanda). Its results were presented at the World Culture Forum in November 2006 in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) and at the World Social Forum in Nairobi (Kenya) in January 2007.
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The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the United Nations global development network, an organization advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to promote economic and social development around the world. The UNDP Special Unit for South-South Cooperation was established to promote, coordinate and support South-South cooperation on a global basis to enable developing countries (or the Global South) to share experiences and knowledge to address commonly faced development challenges.
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ON SOUTH-SOUTH COOPERATION AND THE CREATIVE ECONOMY
This publication offers a glimpse of the range of ideas, art pieces and other creative items produced by young artisans and artists based in Kisumu. Through their creations, it also hints at some of the challenges they face and the complex reality in which they operate.
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Kisumu has a limited market. Unemployment and underemployment are extensive, affecting more than 40 per cent of the population. Hence, although many Kenyans are extremely talented and creative, actively channeling their skills into tradable assets that generate sustainable livelihoods continues to be a challenge. The youth we encountered in Kenya, and particularly those who joined this project, are not waiting for a solution to the economic challenges of the Kenyan context to present itself. On the contrary, artisans and artists are trying to organize themselves to improve their skills and their production techniques and capabilities. According to Ziwa Creations, the informal sector, locally known as the jua kali sector and comprised of micro and small enterprises, is the most vibrant segment of the creative market in Kenya. Kisumu has a particularly large jua kali sector, even in comparison with Mombasa and Nairobi, which benefit from more developed markets. This has resulted in two important trends in Kisumu’s creative economy: (1) innovative product design and high-quality production, which are necessary to attract buyers from other parts of the country, regions or overseas, and (2) innovative and well-organized marketing strategies, which are essential to getting the products to potential buyers. Moreover, artist associations have been established, such as LAVINCA, and institutions such as the Kisumu Innovation Center are actively
engaging in activities to support the efforts of creative economy practitioners. In this sense, Kisumu is an exemplary display of daring and optimistic production that confronts adversity with innovation, and fragile markets with creative responses. Kenya is a land of contrasts, where a western lifestyle coexists with traditional customs, where elegantly accented British English interlaces with Swahili, where the formal economy interacts with the jua kali sector. This varied landscape has inspired diffe-
Among artisans and artists engaged in painting and drawing, current works frequently recall patterns of naturalistic art. Similarly, designers’ clothing and accessories are creating new colour combination trends and refreshed patterns that may sometimes draw from ancestral imagery and that are used in the latest textile or other productions. Although there are vast differences between Brazil and Kenya, important similarities exist between these two developing countries. The cultural diversity and contrasts that exist in both economies are underlying reasons why this South-South cooperation project has been able to quickly provide value added. For example, open air markets in Nairobi and Kisumu share many features with those in Bahia or Rio de Janeiro. In these places,
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rentiated expressions of cultural legacies. The artisans and artists who participated in this project have incorporated these diverse and seemingly anachronistic cultural dynamics into their work and their efforts to market their creations. For example, they combine traditional techniques with new approaches and materials, sometimes playing with the duality between the traditional and the contemporary.
functional products with artistic value respond to the shopping needs of locals while they are also sought after by foreign visitors. Among tourists, strong interest exists for the antique, the authentic, the rustic and the handcrafted, elements that are frequently incorporated into items of everyday use or souvenirs. Analogous to the market demand for endogenous symbolism observed in tourists in Brazil, foreign visitors in Kenya frequently wish to acquire items with primitive or ancestral images. This desire is often best matched through works or products with contemporary applications. Therefore, the sharing of experiences acquired by ACB in Rio
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de Janeiro with Kenyan artisans and artists has proven to be highly relevant. It has enabled learning and collective adaptation of proven ways to support the development of livelihoods by training talented Kenyan youth in artistic and micro-business management skills. Joint efforts such as the initiative to produce this catalogue can contribute to the development of profitable small businesses in the creative industries. Brazil has a recent tradition of building partnerships between designers, fashion designers, architects or other professionals, and less established artisans and artists. Similar associations, which were promoted through this project’s skills development workshop and the curatorship of this catalogue, have the ability to unlock latent economic potential for artistic production in Kisumu. There are already signs that this project has enhanced the marketability of participating artisans and artists’ works. We hope that these achievements will continue to support the growth of the creative economy sector in Kenya.
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jewelry objects Accessories
decorationS
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Previous pages
Claris Atieno Orimba Handbags / Crochet Recycled polystyrene Above
Brian Nyamanga Necklace and bracelet / Tigo na Bangli Marble and copper wire Opposite page
LĂŞonora Achola Owadi Beaded necklace / Shanga Beads or string of beads
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Iddy Zakayo Adorned sandals / Staka Traditional shoe-making Recycled car tyre sole
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Angela Ahenda Necklace, bracelet and ring / Tigo, pochi na pete Beads and buttons
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Eunice Adhiambo Necklaces / Tigo Dyed fish bone
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Eunice Adhiambo Traditional Kenyan clothing - African cotton Kenyan colours and symbol - Embroidered
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Douglas Mogendi Maikara Family of Three, Mother and Two Kids Mama na Watoto Wawili Carving - Soapstone Love Nut / Fungo La Pendo Carving - Soapstone
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Douglas Mogendi Maikara Dancing Lovers / Wanmski Wapendwa Carving - Soapstone
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Opposite page Traditional musical instrument from Kisumu / Nyatiti Wood, animal skin and fishing line
Leonora Achola Owadi Baboon / Nyani Sculpture - Carving Wood and colouring
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William Alila Mobiles / Kinunu Waste metal plates and irons Opposite page
Nicholas Alila Earrings / Mbao Bones , seeds, paper, clay and metal
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Leonora Achola Owadi Dancers / Wachezaji Bookmarks Oil on metal plates
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Olwery Where the Treasure Comes from / Ambapo azizi Watercolour on paper
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Erick Ayoti Tunnel Singer / mwimbaji Acrylic on canvas
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Victor Nyambok Family Day Out / jamaa nje Acrylic on canvas
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Erick Omondi Contemporary Luo Women Carrying Water / Minie Motingo Pi Acrylic and oil on canvas
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Opposite page
George Omondi Odongo The Pride of Lake Victoria / makuu ya ziwa Victoria Watercolour on embossed paper The Son of Kogelo / Wnod Kogelo Watercolour on embossed paper
Samwel Sunga Olweru Traditional Style of Cooking / Kupika Chakula Watercolour on paper
David Otieno - Jairo Post-election Violence / Furugu Za Uchaguzi Watercolour on paper
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Eric Omondi Untititled Acrylic, emulsion on canvas
Eric Omondi Beer Party / Sherehe Acrylic, emulsion on canvas
Opposite page African Women Acrylic, emulsion on canvas
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Edward Orato My Old Memory of My Grandfather Acrylic on paper
Opposite page Staring Man / Kuangalia Acrylic on paper
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Edward Orato Beer Party / Sherehe Acrylic, emulsion on paper
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Opposite page From the Market / Yae E Chiro Acrylic, emulsion on canvas
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Edwin Ochieng` Okech The Fishing / Uvuvi Emulsion painting on straw board
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Victor Nyambok An Elephant Family Hanging out at a Waterhole Tembo jamaa nje ya mwagilia tundu Oil pastels on paper
George Omondi Odongo Maasai Land Clash / Laro Loo Watercolour and emulsion on paper
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Opiyo O. J Opposite page
Ramogi Ajuang (bottom left) First Wife / Mikaye (top left) Second Wife / Nya Chira (bottom middle) Third Wife / Reru (bottom right and this page)
Sculpture - Clay
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Ramogi and His 3 Wifes
Creativity / Chwech Story: Conceptual and Physical World of Creation Sculpture Clay and wood Height: 11 inches Width: 9 inches The African Refugee / Darfur Story: The Plight of the African Refugee
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Sculpture Clay and wood Height: 8 inches Width: 12 inches
Next page
Cooking / Marriage / Tedo Sculpture - Clay Height: 7 inches Width: 12 inches Story: Angola in My Life
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Weaving Cotton / Pamba Workshop, Kisumu
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Weaving Workshop, Kisumu
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Artisan burnishing ceramic jar Pottery Workshop, Kakamega
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Mr. Arnold O. Juma is a sculptor and Senior Lecturer on Art Design in several teachers colleges in Kenya. He is now Organizational Secretary of the Kisumu Cultural Committee and Coordinator of LAVINCA. He has exhibited at festivals, including in Sweden, Beijing International Art Biennale (twice), Dumaguette International Art Biennale (Philippines) and The World Cultural Forum in Rio de Janeiro.
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Ms. Ines Tofalo is a Specialist in the Special Unit for South-South Cooperation in the United Nations Development Programme (UNPD). She promotes and supports cooperation among developing countries through fund management activities for poverty reduction, the pilot Human Development Investment Exchange and the Creative Economy Programme.
Mr. Francisco Simplicio is Chief of the Division of Knowledge and Programme Management in the Special Unit for South-South Cooperation (UNDP). Among other tasks, he manages the Creative Economy Programme aimed at fostering inclusive development through the creative industries by promoting informed policy-making and the sharing of effective practices to unlock the potential of creative activities to bring about human development. He also heads the pilot Human Development Investment Exchange, a project to foster cooperation among civil society institutions and facilitate financing for the scaling up of effective development solutions.
Ms. Marília Pastuk is a sociologist wih a master’s degree in sociology and education and a PhD in public health policy from Oswaldo Cruz Foundation in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She has more than 30 years of experience in projects in Brazil and overseas (Colombia, Costa Rica, Honduras, Italy, Kenya, Mozambique, Peru, Rwanda and others), in governmental, non-governmental and academic organizations and in the private sector. Marília was the coordinator of the UNDP Social Unit in Brazil, a rights officer for UNICEF and the regional representative of UNESCO in the State of Bahia. Since 2001, she has been the Superintended of Ação Comunitária do Brasil do Rio de Janeiro.
Mr. Luciano Tardin Pinheiro has a bachelor’s degree in visual communication from the Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, PUC-RJ and a master’s degree in art history from the School of Fine Arts of UFRJ University with a concentration in anthropology of art. He currently teaches courses in media and graphic design at the School of Advertising and Marketing. He is Area Coordinator for the Post-graduate degree at ESPM-RJ. A designer and art director, he also works developing projects and providing consulting services.
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Ms. Marcela Escobar Pereira holds a bachelor’s degree in graphic design from Estácio de Sá University, and a post-graduate degree in strategic design at ESPM Rio. An illustrator and set designer, she currently works as coordinator of the sector’s product development and communication at Ação Comunitária do Brasil do Rio de Janeiro.
Concept Design Francisco Simplício Marilia Pastuk Arnold O. Juma Capacity-building Workshop Arnold O. Juma Marilia Pastuk Luciano Tardim Pinheiro Marcela Escobar
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Editors Inês Tofalo Marilia Pastuk Luciano Tardin Pinheiro Photography Marcela Escobar Pereira Luciano Tardin Pinheiro Arnold O. Juma Layout and Publishing Marcela Escobar Pereira Luciano Tardin Pinheiro Photo Editor Marcela Escobar Pereira
Thanks Special Unit for South-South Cooperation in the United Nations Development Programme
Yiping Zhou Director
Chief, Division for Knowledge and Programme Management
Francisco Simplicio
Other Staff Members
Lake Victoria and Nyanza Creative Art Association
Arnold O. Juma Co-Director
Ação Comunitária do Brasil do Rio de Janeiro
Rudolf Hohn Director-President Marília Pastuk Superintendent Marcela Escobar Designer
ACB/RJ Staff Members
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Lourdes Hermosura-Chang Ines Tofalo Michelle Siqueira
...thank you very much...
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City Council of Kisumu Kenyan Artisans-Artists Kisumu Hotel Devine Providence Home Orphanage in Kakamega
Vitalis O. Aulla Fatima Prado Luciano Tardin Pinheiro Júlia Merquior Valério Rodrigues Fátima Prado
...and thank you...
Jane Awuor Otieno
Douglas Mogendi Maikara
ART HOUSE
Erick Ayoti
Samwel Sunga Olweru
Iddy Zakayo
Willis Otieno
Erick Omondi
leowadi@yahoo.com Phone nº 072 6334599 P.O. Box 3697 Code 40100 Kisumu, Kenya
Cedric Odhiambo
David Mboya
Edwin Ochieng` Okech
Angela Ahenda
Eunice Adhiambo
Brian Nyamanga
Jane Otieno
erickayoti@yahoo.com Phone nº 072 66332188 P.O. Box 9554 Code 40100 Kisumu, Kenya
Victor Nyambok
nyambocc@yahoo.com Phone nº 073 6061700 P.O. Box 2742 Code 40100 Kisumu, Kenya
George Omondi Odongo odongoarts@yahoo.com Phone nº 073 5824781 P.O. Box 4097 Code 40100 Kisumu, Kenya
Edward Orato
eorato@yahoo.com Phone nº 072 0811754 P.O. Box 818 Code 40100 Kisumu, Kenya
David Otieno - Jairo
djairo2002@yahoo.com Phone Nº 072 2691890 P.O. Box 2154 Code 40100 Kisumu, Kenya
Sammuel Oluoch Oyomba Lavinca206@yahoo.com Phone nº 072 8714837 P.O. Box 9554 Code 40100 Kisumu, Kenya
douglasorangi@yahoo.com Phone nº 254 710834423 P.O. Box 810 Code 40100 Kisumu, Kenya
olweru2000@yahoo.com Phone nº 072 6927469 P.O.Box 1158 Code 40100 Kisumu, Kenya
Leonora Achola Owadi
oppdwin@yahoo.com Phone nº 072 3487443 P.O. Box 1037 Code 40100 Kisumu, Kenya
Claris Atieno Orimba clarisatieno@yahoo.com Phone nº 071 0498502 P.O. Box 9398 Code 40141 Kisumu, Kenya
Opiyo O. J.
info@opiyoscupltures.com Phone nº 254 721322677 Eregi Teachers College P.O. Box 100 Maragoli, Kenya
ksmarthouse@gmail.com Phone nº 072 0289497 P.O. Box 4927 Code 40100 Kisumu, Kenya
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Phone nº 072 8490173 Kisumu Boy`s High School P.O. Box 1973 Code 40100 Kisumu, Kenya
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