micro-enterprise for local artisans

The difference between sustainable and unsustainable micro-enterprise can be as simple as connecting the entrepreneurs with the right market.  In Madagascar, skilled artisans can be found in every region and every ethnic group, each with its own particular style, raw materials, and typical crafts.  Tourists are fascinated by these crafts, and in urban centers and more touristed areas, they purchase them along their journey.

young crafter works on earrings by hand

Yet in the Ankarana where I was a Peace Corps Volunteer, local crafters were selling only a limited number of goods to the local market, despite the growing ecotourist activity in the region.  For the most part, they simply didn’t know how to sell their goods to foreign tourists, and saw themselves as external to the entire tourism industry.  This is because most travel agents, tour guides, and other players in the tourism sector came from the city or the capital, hundreds of kilometers away.  Local residents often end up treated like a backdrop to the nature excursions that tourists take, disconnected from the landscape and from any financial benefit derived from tourism.

As a Peace Corps Volunteer, I worked with local artisans to develop crafts suitable for ecotourists to the Ankarana region.  Together we designed smaller versions of woven “shopping bags”, hats, and other goods, so even backpackers could find room to take something home with them.  I helped crafters to understand what draws an ecotourist to Mada, in order to instill a sense of pride in local, natural, sustainably harvested materials, natural dyes, and Malagasy designs.

chameleon patch

The common belief was that foreigners in general would want only items made from plastic, precious metals, and shiny colors, since most imported goods on the local market are flashy and fancy; typically, a Malagasy with more money would spend it on such items.  But once our crafters understood that ecotoursts and many other foreigners valued natural materials and find them beautiful, they allowed themselves to innovate and experiment with all sorts of materials.  Together we designed bowls, trinkets, and jewelry from coconut shells and seeds with earrings by far the most popular and diversified item.  Weavers fashioned small bags, baskets, and even furniture; others embroidered patches and cloth bags.  We experimented with designs from other artisans, and drew ideas from other PCVs and tourists.

Amido is an artist through and through, with incredible skills as a craftsman as well as being a powerful community organizer

I helped the crafters to organize, form a local association, and forge partnerships with local ecotourist sites and the nearby national park for which the region is renowned.  Over time, keeping our costs down and receiving a few small grants, several crafters began to make dramatic changes in their lives with the extra income.  Parents were able to afford their children’s schooling, families could  afford cell phones, radios, and even the materials to build or fix their homes.  Other artisans took notice, and we continually reached out to the wider community, and gradually membership increased.  We generated enough momentum to take our micro-enterprise to the next level and applied for a grant from Aid 2 Artisans to build our own “ecoshop”.  We were awarded the grant, and with it built a small storefront and workshop along a track well-traveled by tourists, and convenient for all or our artisans to access.  The ecoshop allows the artisans to sell directly to tourists as well as placing goods for sale at other sites, and provides tourists the chance to watch crafts being made and try to learn the techniques themselves.  The artisans have even built a small bungalow where guests can stay the night, perfect for backpackers, researchers, or crafters visiting from other areas.

"cooking" colored dye into satrana strips before weaving

L’Artisanat de L’Ankarana has become enmeshed in local ecotourism activity, and has itself helped to inspire other new local endeavors as well, including other artisans, restaurants, and the community-managed nature reserve described elsewhere on this site.  The artisans are also selling their crafts at limited locations in the capital city, Antananarivo, and even in small quantities overseas, mainly at Midnight Sun in Wickford, RI.

me learning to weave from Maman'i Maude with satrana (fan-palm leaves) back in 2005

Madagascar’s recent political unrest has been a deep detriment to ecotourism, and L’Artisanat de L’Ankarana has suffered as a result — but like others, they remain hopeful that a return to stability is on the horizon.

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