Crafts Village, formerly known as Baduku Crafts is registered Self-Help organization Ref : DSS/NP/5/Vol.1/96/19 with the Ministry of Home Affairs National Heritage, Culture and Social Services. The organization is located at the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) Jua Kali informal sector light industries along Rabai Road off Jogoo Road, about five miles in the Eastern area of Nairobi city. As a Self-Help grass-roots oriented development organization, Crafts Village's major focus is to enable the Self-Help income generating Handicrafts producer groups meet their basic needs like food, clothing, shelter, education, health services etc. Some of the many problems facing a majority of Kenya's population of 30 million people, are widespread of poverty, high unemployment and underemployment levels among other social economic problems/vices. However, in as much as the Government would like to address itself to the numerous problems facing the low-income groups, it cannot achieve much without the support of each and every development conscious person(s), Church or non-governmental organizations including the private sectors and the international community. It was out of this concern that Crafts Village was formed. Since its inception in 1988, Crafts Village has been working with grass-roots communities in the urban, pre-urban slums and rural villages country-wide. The long-term objective being to build up low income artisans so that they can build up a future for themselves by generating income through handcrafts making. CRAFTS MAKING AS A SOURCE OF INCOME AND CULTURAL HERITAGE PROMOTION Crafts Village regards a well organized and managed handicrafts industry as a meaningful economic activity through which the nation's deepest heritage and traditions, cultural roots, customs of folk and Art, can be passed on from one generation to the next. With this in mind , Handicrafts making as a source of income generating activity needs to be treated as an important Jua-Kali informal sector that has the potential for employment creation opportunities as well as earning the country the much needed foreign exchange/hard currency through export.Crafts Village is therfore contributing to the country's national economic growth and in uplifting the social-economic status of the impoverished grass-roots communities such as the squatter dwellers, urban poor, small farmer, pastoralists and the handicapped etc. who are striving to be self reliant despite the harsh realities of their daily lives. To achieve its goals and objectives, Crafts Village is actively involved in the nurturing talents for participatory development through mobilizing and encouraging the marginalized or the less fortunate persons tap their ingenuity, talents and creativity by making unique, high quality artefacts, utilitarian and decorative handicrafts that command ready sale locally and internationally. |
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