USAID’s West Africa Cotton Improvement Program (WACIP) and project partner Aid to Artisans sponsored the participation of 15 artisan groups at Salon International des Artisans de Ouagadougou (Ouagadougou International Craft Exhibition). The event was held October 29 to November 7, 2010, in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
Funded by USAID and implemented by IFDC, WACIP was initiated to help Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad and Mali – collectively known as the Cotton-4 (C-4) countries – increase cotton productivity and more effectively participate in world trade. One of WACIP’s goals is to increase the incomes of artisans and processors in these countries. WACIP conducts activities in support of crafts through Aid to Artisans, an international nonprofit based in the United States that creates economic opportunities for artisan groups around the world.
Aid to Artisans has trained these artisan groups to develop new products for the international market and helped them link to reliable regional, national and international distribution channels. Products include hand-woven textiles, bogolan (hand-made Malian cotton fabric), appliqué, batik and other decorative accessories.
For more information:
USAID WACIP website on the event
Photo slideshow
Home Grown: Textiles from Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad and Mali
WACIP website
Aid to Artisans website