"Requesting
you to come and teach us." That was the phrase in the message box of an
email I received on June 11th of 2007. It was written on behalf of some
fifty artisans who live in two rural communities in the Krobo district
of Ghana. These men and women use traditional methods to make the
distinctive, colorful, recycled-glass beads for which the district is
famous. But, as is so often the case, precious little of the profit
from the sale of the beads is going to the artisans who create them.
The
writer of the email, having seen a jewelry design I'd had published in
Bead & Button magazine, decided to enlist my help in correcting
this situation. It was the beginning of a cross-cultural exchange of
ideas, inspirations, techniques, products, artistry, and marketing
abilities that promises some beneficial long-term results on both sides
of the globe.
The original plan was for me to visit for a few
weeks and teach the Krobo bead makers about Western beading techniques
and materials, meanwhile taking the opportunity to learn their
traditional bead-making techniques. But the scope of the project
continued to broaden throughout the six months prior to my departure
for Ghana. It soon became clear that what was really needed in
Kroboland was assistance with developing beaded products that would
sell well in overseas markets. This realization highlighted the need
for establishing retail markets that could be dealt with directly,
without the crippling expenses of middlemen and Customs duties. This,
in turn, brought up such issues as getting NGO (non-governmental
organization) status, packaging, shipping, labeling, accounting,
import/export laws, and qualifying for the Fair Trade Federation's nod
of approval.
Starting
to feel a bit over my head, I recruited my niece Megan Metzger of
Chattanooga, Tennessee in order to broaden the skill base that could be
made available to the Ghanaian bead workers. Megan, a recent graduate
of Macalester College in Minnesota, was to be the creative mind and
liaison for many of the marketing-related issues. The purpose of our
first visit, which spanned the entire month of November, 2007, was
fourfold: to help the Krobo artisans broaden their repertoire of
beading skills; to acquaint them with Western tools and materials while
exploring less expensive, locally available substitutes; to assist them
in developing attractive, imaginative beaded products that embodied the
richness of Krobo culture while meeting world-market standards of
quality and consistency; and to bring back to the U.S. a knowledge of
Krobo traditions and techniques that would enrich the field of bead
arts on this side of the Atlantic.
To date, I have made two
trips to Ghana. It's been a real adventure, and an education in human
nature, both Ghanaian and American. Along the way, we lost Megan to the
lure of furthering her formal education. Due to trust and ethical issues, Bernard
and I have had to disassociate ourselves from our other two original
Ghanaian partners as well. But what's left is bedrock. The project is
now up and running, and progressing nicely. We have eight young people
working for Soul of Somanya making jewelry and other beaded items, and
we offer market value or better (rather than
wholesale prices) for beads produced by the original bead makers I went
to Ghana to teach so that they, too, have the opportunity to benefit from the project. And of course the trickle-down effect of Somanya's citizens having more income promises to be beneficial for the entire
community.
Many people on this side of the ocean were incredibly
generous with their time and other resources to make both trips become
a reality. There was absolutely no way any of this could have happened
without their help. Those friends and well-wishers, along with my
remarkable young partner Bernard, have restored my faith in the
goodness of humanity.
district is
famous. But, as is so often the case, precious little of the profit
from the sale of the beads is going to the artisans who create them.
