Accomplishments
- The REDY! Workshop was held in November, 2008, with intention of stimulating collaboration among regional craft sector stakeholders, as well as providing them with a forum for setting our practical action steps that can create positive change at a national and regional levels. The workshop was attended by 54 participants from seven South African countries: Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe. They represented a wide cross-section of the crafts sector, including the public sector, private sector, NGOs, donor organizations and artisans themselves.
- ATASA conducted two in-depth craft sector assessments in June and July 2007 in Nyandeni, Eastern Cape and Mkhanyakude, Kwa Zulu Natal respectively
- ATASA has held five Product Development Workshops for six groups based in the Eastern Cape (EC) and for four groups based in KwaZulu Natal (KZN).
- A monitoring and Evaluation trip to KZN and EC was undertaken to collect baseline data in both provinces
- Four regional training workshops have been held in Kwa-Zulu Natal and Eastern Cape
- Two young entrepreneur exporters, one from Eastern Cape and one from Kwa-Zulu Natal are being mentored.
- Aid to Artisans South Africa Trust, a subsidiary of ATA was established and registered in South Africa in 2005.
- ATA has conducted in depth business skills trainings, as well as product development with many groups in South Africa
- The Africa Market Readiness Program targeted at producers from throughout Africa began in 2002 and continues today
- A wide variety of overseas buyers have come to South Africa through ATA such as the San Diego Zoo, Artecnica, Charity International and SERVV International among others.
- ATA has successfully exhibited at the Design Indaba and SARCDA shows for a number of years, and was awarded the Gold Award for best stand in the focus on local at SARCDA, as well as an award for South African Hand Made Collection at Decorex.
Partners & Collaborators
Aid to Artisans South Africa Trust
ATA’s artisan enterprise partners, social enterprises all, are also numerous, such as:
The Bat Shop, Cape Craft & Design, and specialized artisan enterprises like Phumani Paper, Kunye, Feeling African, Vuyo, Mandela Mosaics
Contributors
ATA would like to thank the following organizations for providing funding
for efforts in South Africa:
The Kellogg Foundation
UMCOR
United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
The Ford Foundation
International Finance Corporation
The McKnight Foundation
The West Foundation
Ewing Family Trust
And many individual donors
