Hi Emmanuel,
I was wondering whether you had by now found a reliable patner to market your products.
I am sure i can market your products internationally on a retail basis, initially on a small scale but later definately on a large scale. what i need form you is a lsit of products your village community can make readily, digital fotographs of the products, the prices, weight and dimensions.
let me know what you think of this idea.
regards
Konsta and magie

Hello Konstantine,
Welcome. Can you tell us about your connections for selling the crafts? Do you have your own business? What is your plan for marketing the products? What crafts are you currently selling? What villages are you connected with?
Hope to hear from you soon,
Jen

There are several craft and art marketing NGOs including the Memmonite Church who export to EU and USA. The best idea I have seen is in India. An NGO has a large retail building in Deli selling crafts from all over India. I could have filled a ship container!!! Hope this helps.

Ken H

Hi everybody,

it has been a bit quiet around the arts and crafts market issue. Emmanuel told me today that the youths really had stopped selling their products because of being demotivated by the hotel´s policy Emmanuel discribed in his post below.
However, I think the youths are doing great arts and crafts and should definitely try to sell them in order to generate income. This would help some more than only those involved for the moment in goats and chickens.

Aren´t there any other hotels they could try in Jinja, Emmanuel? What´s about a local weekly market, where tourist might go? I found a kind of guide for marketing arts and crafts to tourists. http://web1.msue.msu.edu/imp/modtd/33809809.html It´s for the US, but they explain some fundamental questions, the youths could pick up.
- What kind of tourists are coming to Jinja.
- Where are they going.
- Different ways the youths could meet them. (hotels, markets, tourist sites etc)

Maybe they find some other places where they could try selling their products. I just know it from Mexico, but there they have in various streets where tourists pass by, a range of stands where local people sell their jewellry etc. Maybe it´s even less expansive to have a weekly stand than to pay the commission for the hotel.

Neighbours from Uganda, do you have any ideas?

Konstantine, Jennifer asked this already, but could you provide us with some more information about your business? You can find some pictures of the products the youths are doing in the Gallery section.

have a good day,
Maria

Hi Emmanuel,

While I looked for Safari and other social enterprise contacts, I also found a very interesting social enterprise marketing beads and jewellry. They look pretty much the same as the youths produce. They have a shop in Kampala. Maybe after your exams you could pass by there and ask if there is any possibility that they could also sell the youths jewellry. They seem to be a bit more "social" than the hotels:)
http://www.beadforlife.org/8contact.html

Kampala Office & Store

Phone:
011 256 414 577 891
Address:
23 Mpanga Close
Bugolobi
Kampala

Emmanuel told me that they have found a tourist site near the lake and that they can rent a spot for only $50 per month - I bet they can make that in a few days!!! I also suggested they make a poster re Malaria - SAVE A CHILD FOR $10 USD and put some facts on the poster, ie: that it kills 3,000 children a day, etc.
A young man I sponsor should arrive in Kampala (from Burundi this Tuesday or Wednesday and he and Emmanuel will hook up and go out to Jinja. He (John) may be able to get the youths going on the sales end - he is very outgoing, and it is Much easier to sell someone else's products than your own!! (I'm sure I posted this info somewhere?!) Anyway - we shoukd get a better idea about arts and crafts in a week or two. Some of the wooden items should sell for $15-20 - especially if the poster says a percentage of the proceeds will go to buying malaria nets. And also have a separate sheet for purchasing one net for $10 - get people's emails so we can send them info on the village - what do you think? And, my friend John speaks French and English.

--
Ginger :)

I know more about cows than crafts. Are the crafts of export quality? Several NGOs buy crafts and retail them in various countries. I always hesitate to suggest exporting because it is a cut throad business system. When we moved from Guatemala to the USA I opened a retail store and imported fine woven fabrics and additional items from other countries. I purchased directly from weavers I knew in Guatemala and from NGOs in other countries.

It could be that there are Nabuur volunteers who would import the crafts and market them in their area. Just some ideas.

It is so much more simple to teach the youth to farm and sell locally.

Hi Ginger,

That´s great news! Thanks for your message; I haven´t been in contact with Emmanuel for some days because of our both exams. I really hope that the placement allows them to sell their products. Looking forward to hear the first results:)
Emmanuel, if they need any help with putting together a poster or any information about the Malaria project, let us know. It would also be good to decide on the Logo in order to put in on the box and a poster.

best,
Maria

Hi All,
Ginger, I think your friend, John, will be a big help to the youth. I wonder what time of year is their biggest tourist season in Uganda?
Jen

http://www.firemountaingems.com/encyclobeadia/beading_resources.asp?doci...

My wife just emailed this to me and thought you could get some ideas from it.

Thanks Ken for this wonderful story. It is really encouraging I think that lots of initiatives were successful; this should encourage the villages at Nabuur.
I think for Wakitaka, the youths can first try the tourist stand with the help of John - thanks Ginger again for this helpful contact. But if there is some time I would however suggest that they talk to beadsforlife, just to try the opportunity and to get maybe some more information. Two points of selling would even be better :)

Maria

I'm sure they will go to Beads for Life store - and it can be a second outlet - of course, they will only receive wholesale instead of selling it themselves retail. My friend john from burundi and Emmanuel have been in touch and Emma asked John to give him a week to get him a place in the village set up. I believe John has made friendships with both Emma and Eddy of Kisozi, and I'm sure he will find himself where most needed!

--
Ginger :)

Ginger, is right about selling retail rather than wholesale. The question is can the kids be paid well enough selling wholesale?? In some countries I have been in, it is possible to construct a small "booth" on the steet and sell from it.

Another possibility is have a bicycle trailer designed and made as a retail shop. I have plans. Pulled behind a bicyle from place to place to sale from. Stored in a secure place at night. Whoever is selling uses the bicyle for transportation.

Another thought is that those interested in making arts/crafts do that and some can't do that but are interested in selling. They make a deal to share the retail price.

Ken,
I really like the bike idea. I think that would enable the kids to transport their goods and get to the the market area to sell. What a great idea. What is needed to make the trailer part that attaches to the bike?
Jen

Ken - I'm sorry - I thought the info that the boys had found a booth at the River and lake conjunction with Tons of tourists had already been discussed/decided. It will only cost them $50 USD to rent. also - I sent Emma a design brochure to make a cart to pull behind the bike for transporting from village to their rental space. But would LOVE to see your plans - probably simpler than mine!

http://bikecart.pedalpeople.com/gallery.html

http://www.instructables.com/id/Simple_Wood_and_Bamboo_Bike_Trailer/

--
Ginger :)