What is ice_ribh?
ice_ribh is the GIZ focal point for responsible and inclusive business based at icecairo. It powers a paradigm shift towards sustainable development in the Middle East and North Africa. We assist the private sector with skills, networks and business model development support around corporate social responsibility and inclusive business.
INCLUSIVE CRAFTS BUSINESS CASE STUDIES
What is Inclusive Business?
Inclusive Business is a sustainable business that includes disadvantaged segments of society as consumers and/or producers into existing or new value chains. ice_ribh office: 32 Mohamed Sabry Abu Alam, Downtown, Cairo, Egypt Programme Coordinator Bernhard Rohkemper: bernhard.rohkemper@giz.de Powered by:
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REVIVING HANDMADE PRODUCTS IN “NAQADA” VILLAGE - EGYPT Goal: Protecting the Egyptian heritage through quality improvement in different handicraft sectors and improving the living conditions of the residents of the Upper Egyptian village “Naqada” Model: Training local communities to develop high quality crafts and creating a marketing channel for their products through a bespoke retail outlet in Cairo
Key Partners: Designers from the “Industrial Modernisation Center” Key ingredients: Trainings to improve crafts design and quality, marketing crafts both locally and internationally Size & Reach: Small enterprise (6 employees), investing in 35-40 craftsmen rotating annually
Background: Unlike most villages in Egypt that depend on agriculture for their income, the residents of “Naqada”, a small village in upper Egypt, depended instead on weaving “Ferka”, a long Sari-like cloth worn by Sudanese brides. However, after the outbreak of the civil war in Sudan, their sales declined, which led them to change their design direction towards creating hand-woven products for tourists in Egypt instead.
Solution: After its official establishment in 2009, Turath Company offered training workshops to “Naqada” craftsmen on how to enhance the quality of their products by developing their designs and perfectioning the finishing of each product. Turath helped the craftsmen to widen their reach and marketing channels by exporting their products to international markets and showcasing them in “Turath” gallery shop in Cairo’s Zamalek neighbourhood. As a result, the weavers’ products reached wider markets and the craftsmen were able to receive higher incomes.
Impact: Inclusive Business Impact: “Naqada” craftsmen were able to produce higher quality handmade products, through a set of capacity building programs and were able to compete in the crafts market locally and internationally, which created a new source of income for their families. Cultural Impact: “Naqada” craftsmen innovated in the Egyptian local crafts market by creating new designs from traditional weaving techniques, mixing the conventional skill with the modern-day demand for quality and colour. Business Impact: By training craftsmen in “Naqada”, Turath was able to sell authentic, handmade scarves that meet the market demand and thus returned revenue to both Turath and “Neqada” craftsmen. Contact: Elvira Guindi vguindi@egyptianturath.com
Sources: Turath http://www.egyptianturath.com
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