MICHAEL KOHAN; From Christmas tree ornaments to earrings, each item produced by the Coconut Project is crafted by hand. 
MICHAEL KOHAN; Young members of the Coconut Project holds up sampleThe Phnom Penh Post
Written by Karen London
Tuesday, 09 September 2008
The Coconut Project in Kep teaches rural young people to make, market unique jewellery and craft items using simple coconut shells
IN a small room in the rural village of Chamkea Bei in Kep municipality, a group of young people are carving out a niche in the handicraft market through a unique community development project.
Each morning, in this "coconut shell" room in the Chamka Bei Vocational Training Centre, earrings, necklaces and other jewellery (as well as Christmas decorations) are meticulously crafted by hand using coconut shell. The process is a lengthy one as the makers go through about eight different stages of filing, sawing and sanding to get to the finished product.The results are natural, eco-friendly products made entirely from sustainable resources.
"They start with the coconut husk, file and cut the hair away and then glue the design on and cut around with a hand saw," says Antonia Marison, founder of Khmer Creations, one of the organisations behind the initiative. "The piece is then sanded with up to six different grades of sandpaper and polished with coconut oil to finish. It usually takes between two to four hours to complete one piece.
Shell gain
"Every piece is different and unique - no two pieces are alike. What I also like about them is that they are not machine-manufactured or perfect, which adds to their individuality," Marison added. "In order for this project to be a successful and sustainable enterprise, the quality of our products is paramount."
The Coconut Project was created through a partnership of Khmer Creations and Bridges Across Borders Southeast Asia (BABSEA) under the Hand in Hand integrated community development project.
The idea behind the intiative, said Marison, was to provide young villagers with a marketable skill that would eventually lead to sustainable economic self-sufficiency.
"We identified handicrafts as an area where there was a genuine interest from villagers, especially the youth, as well as a burgeoning market," she said.
To help get the project off the ground, a jewellery designer was brought from Japan by Khmer Creations to train the young people in jewellery production and provide design consulting. She came up with "Khmer-focused" designs and carried out a three-week intensive training program with 10 local youth.
The workshop participants were selected from among the poorest young people in the village, most of whom had previously worked as subsistence farmers. While the participants were enthusiastic and eager to learn, their families were initially perplexed at what their children were doing playing with coconut shells during rice-planting season, said Marison.
It was only when they began to sell their handicrafts back to Khmer Creations and to hotels in Kep that the community began to value this seemingly waste material.
"Jewellery making is a skill that anyone can acquire after some training and it is empowering for the artisans," said Marison. "They take a lot of pride in their work, particularly when they see the finished product."
In the initial stages, the Coconut Project is trying to sell locally in markets in Kep and Kampot as well as encourage people to come down to visit the workshop where they can purchase the goods. They have also begun selling their jewellery at the Friends flea market held in Phnom Penh every month, and Khmer Creations is currently approaching international fair-trade buyers for the Christmas decorations.
" Every piece is different and unique – no two pieces are alike.” "
"We had a great response to the jewellery at the last Friends flea market, and in particular to the Christmas decorations. There is a huge market out there for ethical Christmas decorations and now is the time to start tapping into that market. People always like to see something different and have what no one else has."
Learning a business
"Once they have enough orders they will work independently. A percentage will go back to the project to buy equipment like the saw blades which are imported from Germany but available in Phnom Penh. Also, in the future, once BABSEA has phased out management of the vocational training centre, the artisans will be required to pay rent for the workshop space ensuring that vital funds to go back into the community."
BABSEA will continue to recruit trainees for the coconut project according to market demand for the products. They will be trained by the first group, allowing them the opportunity to pass on the skills they have learned.
"By supporting this project, we will be giving young people in Chamka Bei a new perspective on small businesses," said Marison.
Written by Karen London
Tuesday, 09 September 2008
The Coconut Project in Kep teaches rural young people to make, market unique jewellery and craft items using simple coconut shells
IN a small room in the rural village of Chamkea Bei in Kep municipality, a group of young people are carving out a niche in the handicraft market through a unique community development project.
Each morning, in this "coconut shell" room in the Chamka Bei Vocational Training Centre, earrings, necklaces and other jewellery (as well as Christmas decorations) are meticulously crafted by hand using coconut shell. The process is a lengthy one as the makers go through about eight different stages of filing, sawing and sanding to get to the finished product.The results are natural, eco-friendly products made entirely from sustainable resources.
"They start with the coconut husk, file and cut the hair away and then glue the design on and cut around with a hand saw," says Antonia Marison, founder of Khmer Creations, one of the organisations behind the initiative. "The piece is then sanded with up to six different grades of sandpaper and polished with coconut oil to finish. It usually takes between two to four hours to complete one piece.
Shell gain
"Every piece is different and unique - no two pieces are alike. What I also like about them is that they are not machine-manufactured or perfect, which adds to their individuality," Marison added. "In order for this project to be a successful and sustainable enterprise, the quality of our products is paramount."
The Coconut Project was created through a partnership of Khmer Creations and Bridges Across Borders Southeast Asia (BABSEA) under the Hand in Hand integrated community development project.
The idea behind the intiative, said Marison, was to provide young villagers with a marketable skill that would eventually lead to sustainable economic self-sufficiency.
"We identified handicrafts as an area where there was a genuine interest from villagers, especially the youth, as well as a burgeoning market," she said.
To help get the project off the ground, a jewellery designer was brought from Japan by Khmer Creations to train the young people in jewellery production and provide design consulting. She came up with "Khmer-focused" designs and carried out a three-week intensive training program with 10 local youth.
The workshop participants were selected from among the poorest young people in the village, most of whom had previously worked as subsistence farmers. While the participants were enthusiastic and eager to learn, their families were initially perplexed at what their children were doing playing with coconut shells during rice-planting season, said Marison.
It was only when they began to sell their handicrafts back to Khmer Creations and to hotels in Kep that the community began to value this seemingly waste material.
"Jewellery making is a skill that anyone can acquire after some training and it is empowering for the artisans," said Marison. "They take a lot of pride in their work, particularly when they see the finished product."
In the initial stages, the Coconut Project is trying to sell locally in markets in Kep and Kampot as well as encourage people to come down to visit the workshop where they can purchase the goods. They have also begun selling their jewellery at the Friends flea market held in Phnom Penh every month, and Khmer Creations is currently approaching international fair-trade buyers for the Christmas decorations.
" Every piece is different and unique – no two pieces are alike.” "
"We had a great response to the jewellery at the last Friends flea market, and in particular to the Christmas decorations. There is a huge market out there for ethical Christmas decorations and now is the time to start tapping into that market. People always like to see something different and have what no one else has."
Learning a business
"Once they have enough orders they will work independently. A percentage will go back to the project to buy equipment like the saw blades which are imported from Germany but available in Phnom Penh. Also, in the future, once BABSEA has phased out management of the vocational training centre, the artisans will be required to pay rent for the workshop space ensuring that vital funds to go back into the community."
BABSEA will continue to recruit trainees for the coconut project according to market demand for the products. They will be trained by the first group, allowing them the opportunity to pass on the skills they have learned.
"By supporting this project, we will be giving young people in Chamka Bei a new perspective on small businesses," said Marison.
No comments:
Post a Comment