“What makes us happy so much is the customer that we now have from overseas and all over the world because of your web set. So for that reason our tapestries are known and bought by so many customers and we also, are families with the world.” - Members of Elelloang in their thank you letter to AfricanCraft.com

When one conjures up an image of Africa what comes to mind? Is it war, famine, disease, hopelessness and despair? How many people would imagine very opposing images of hope, art, and strength? How many would additionally think of the many artisans spread throughout Africa sustaining their families, communities and culture through the creation of handicrafts?

Yet, these artisans are often invisible and disconnected— living in remote areas with a very little infrastructure and communication. Many artisans sit in their communities pondering the future of their craftwork. They are convinced that someone must want their work, but are unsure of how to find them. At the same time, increasing numbers of consumers are leaning towards fairly traded items. They want products that are representative of cultural traditions and contribute to poverty alleviation.

Connecting through AfricanCraft.com
AfricanCraft.com is one effort that is trying to help bridge the gap between the two worlds of artisans and western consumers. This innovative website showcases the work of craftspeople, artists, and designers and additionally hosts retail catalogues, all with an African theme. Unlike so many online craft venues that sell anonymous items disconnected from their local context, African Craft.com is not about consumerism alone. It also celebrates and recognises the art and artisans of Africa. It provides visibility to the skills and innovation of individual African artisans shows people throughout the world an alternative view of Africa.

On the AfricanCraft site, under ‘Craftspeople’, you will find a link to the Elelloang Basali Weavers, a group that I am proud to work with in Lesotho. Elelloang Basali

(Be Aware Women) is a women’s weaving business that specialises in fine hand-woven mohair bags, rugs, table runners and wall hangings.

As volunteer with Elelloang, one of my main roles has been to help build capacity in terms of product development, marketing, and export of their weavings. With few overseas orders and limited local sales, the weavers wanted to, in their own words, “find the market,” but were unsure of how to specifically pursue and locate these abstract overseas clients.

By November 2002, a website for the weavers was established that included a portfolio and detailed information on the group. This site has greatly supported Elelloang Basali’s efforts in building their export capacity and, in turn, has led to the success of a number of other efforts in grassroot sustainable development. Elelloang’s benefits from their partnership with AfricanCraft.com are indicative of the great potential and vision of the site, which is helping dozens of individuals and groups throughout the

African continent. Their efforts are enormous in pushing African handicrafts into a global forum and helping them receive international recognition. In November 2002, after sending AfricanCraft, stacks of photos and information, their site was running and business began to change.

Business through Elelloang Basali home page
The Elelloang Basali pages now includes a homepage with introductory information about the weavers and their products that is a portfolio with sixty weavings that customers can order, a photo gallery of images of the weavers at work, our price list, a map, and Elelloang’s contact information. Any interested parties can email or write to the group directly with queries and orders.

Put simply, their new “webset” (as they have named it) is extraordinary. A look at their humble beginnings and diverse range of work helps put this achievement into perspective. Still, the success of Elelloang is reliant on their ability to get their high-quality weavings into the hands of customers. Without the Internet, this was an enormous challenge.

Since the inception of their website, the weavers have seen tremendous, tangible benefits. The objectives they had, in working with Africancraft.com were met and exceeded, as the site has led to connections never foreseen. The weavers have received inquiries and orders from individuals and shops around the world, including Sweden, Lebanon, the United States, Canada, Japan, South Africa and the United Kingdom. Most of these contacts came from people browsing the web who otherwise would have never known about the group. AfricanCraft.com has also facilitated new orders with Elelloang’s old customers, raising their confidence in the group and making it easier for them to see our new designs.

New excitements in Elelloang
In Elelloang’s recent quest to build their new solar-powered tin-can weaving centre they have found donor assistance to be quite helpful, and this assistance has been easier to attract with their website. The site confirms that Elelloang is a well-established, serious group and they thus stand out among applicants. Photos of weavers give a face to the otherwise anonymous beneficiaries.

Most exciting, however, was the trip of one weaver to the United States for an exhibition coordinated by the Kellogg Foundation. In August 2003, a group of Americans came to Lesotho to choose a group to represent the country’s weaving industry. They decided on Elelloang for a number of reasons, including their website, which inspired additional confidence, as it confirmed Elelloang’s ability to market themselves and follow-up with customers.

Elelloang’s work stands out with its use of Basotho Litema designs. Originally, Litema patterns were drawn into the walls and floors of traditional Basotho homes (made from stone, dung and clay, with thatched roofs). As Litema becomes more scarce, due to the proliferation of cement block and tin roof homes, Elelloang has incorporated these designs into their portfolio. AfricanCraft.com has helped to document and celebrate these designs and will soon be home to detailed information and photos depicting Litema. This is an important contribution for the Basotho cultural heritage.

The site has helped Elelloang to save time and money in soliciting new customers and support. As one weaver commented, “We used to send so many photos to our potential customers, usually more than twenty to each person. This took a lot of time and cost us a lot of money. We had to find the negatives, see how many photos we needed, and go to the capital [over 1 hour away] to print them. It was easy to make mistakes while labeling these photos. But it is better now because we can just tell customers about the website.”


“We are very proud about the website because everyone can see our work and we have received so many letters.” - Members of Elelloang Basali

Conclusion
The success of AfricanCraft.com is largely due to two things: Firstly, the online bulletin-board and secondly, providing full exposure to each group. Perhaps the most important result of the site is one that is difficult to quantify, that of increased pride. In Lesotho, weaving is often seen as a low-status occupation, despite the fact it is sustaining families and takes great skill. For the women to see themselves online in a respectful and beautiful format is an extraordinary thing, as they feel that the website is like television or an international film about Elelloang.

Artisans around the world are in need of support to sustain and evolve their traditional crafts. In a world where lifestyles and material goods are becoming increasingly homogenous and industrialised, handicrafts have the ability to give meaning to consumerism and, at the same time, sustain cultural identities and support struggling communities. Yet, historically most handicraft development projects have been inappropriate, as they are planned with a top-down approach. True development means empowering people and building capacity. In order for successful handicraft development to have a chance of success, the artisans must have a voice and be the project managers. Power and representation has to be in the hands of the grassroot ‘beneficiaries’ instead of distant development agents.

A balance can successfully be met between artisans’ and consumers’ needs and desires if projects are pursued appropriately and carefully. Often, this balance has been found through the support and encouragement of fair trade ideals. An increasing number of Western consumers are leaning towards responsible consumerism and the marketability of fair trade shops is increasing. AfricanCraft.com is providing a forum for communication and discussion and is opening the way for artisans, development organisations, and customers to find their own solutions. They are humble in their efforts, yet they have created a venue for empowerment, fair trade, sustainable development, and links between two often distant worlds.