By Lesroy W. Williams Observer Reporter
” (Basseterre, St. Kitts) – Recognizing that the services sector is now the main contributor to the Caribbean economy, particularly through the tourism industry, the Organization of American States has designed a project to help the common those involved in the handicraft industry. Supporting Our Caribbean Enterprise (SOURCE) Project was designed to help artisans better access the lucrative tourist market as an avenue of income and revenue. It will also assist local producers to position themselves to increase sales of their products to hotels and resorts on St. Kitts and Nevis, OAS Representative to the Federation, Starret Greene said. The OAS has injected US$450,000 into the SOURCE project to assist artisans over a three year period. The OAS has recognized that for Caribbean producers of handicrafts, furnishings, soaps, specialty foods, and many other hand-made products, the Caribbean tourist market could offer unlimited sales opportunities. To that end, earlier this year, Karla Hostetler, from Aid to Artisans, visited the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis. Wednesday Online Code for Issue # 732 is RNI Aid to Artisans is a non-profit organization that offers practical assistance to artisan groups worldwide by partnering with them to foster artistic traditions, cultural vitality, improved livelihoods and community well-being. Through collaboration in product development, business skills training and development of new markets, Aid to Artisans provides sustainable economic and social benefits for crafts people in an environmentally sensitive and culturally respectful manner. Continuing with the same artisan project, Lyn Nelson, a design and marketing consultant, with considerable expertise in business development and retail display skills, visited the Federation from Oct. 21-28 to hold discussions with artisan groups on their current product lines in a one-on-one design workshop. While in St .Kitts and Nevis, she met with the General Managers of the Craft House in St. Kitts and the Craft House, the Handicraft Society and the Newcastle Potters in Nevis. Ms. Nelson described her visit to St .Kitts and Nevis as a productive one and expressed the hope that her work will benefit artisans and entrepreneurs in the Federation. She expressed the view that more can be done to support local artisan entrepreneurs. “So much of everything that you see here is made in Indonesia or China or the Philippines. I”ve seen a lot of stuff from Central America here. A lot of people just go straight to New York without even a thought of buying anything from here,” Ms. Nelson said. Nelson outlined some of the difficulties of the artisan industry as that of sourcing materials and getting better business training for artisans so that they can be able to better market their products in the tourism industry. However, she thinks that there is much scope for the development of the artisan industry in the Federation.
