Cultural Revival & Community Empowerment through Handicraft Development Projects
Tran Tuyet Lan
Tran Tuyet Lan is the general manager of Craft Link. Founded in 1996, Craft Link is a Vietnamese non-profit, fair trade organization which helps ethnic minority groups, disadvantaged groups, and traditional craft producers to revitalize their culture and improve their livelihood through handicraft production and marketing. The organization has three main objectives:
- cultural revival: helping to revive and promote traditional culture and skills
- extra income: helping craft producers earn more and improve their livelihood through craft production and marketing
- general awareness raising: educating the public about handicraft producers and their products
The organization consists of two units: the NGO and the business department. The NGO side is mainly responsible for the projects, which last two years. After the two years of training, artisans begin to work with the business department, which offers support in marketing and generating income. Craft producers are trained in skills such as management, book-keeping, costing and pricing, design, product development and final finishing, quality control, packaging, and marketing. During the training period each group has its own manager, so after two years they can manage groups by themselves and no longer depend on the organization.
At the moment, Craft Link supports 70 groups all over Vietnam, 45% of which are ethnic minorities (the main focus for Craft Link as they have limited resources). There are 53 minority groups in Vietnam, accounting for only 15% of the population. A quarter of these are disadvantaged groups (Agent Orange victims and the physically or mentally disabled) and a further three-tenths are traditional villages, with craft producers specializing in lacquer ware, ceramics, bamboo ware, etc. who may need support in marketing and design.
Craft Link designers work with local artisans help them develop new designs, also carefully researching traditional motifs, designs, techniques, patterns, and color scheme to understand more about the distinct cultures. Designers have to learn the skills of the local artisans and study traditional markets; in this way, they can determine what kind of materials and resources are available and so ensure sustainability. Documentation is also very important: Craft Link makes a flyer for each project describing the group background and culture and the details of the project.
In addition to reviving and developing designs, Craft Link also helps local artisans set up shops so they can sell directly to tourists. Once a year Craft Link handicraft bazaars are held so the organization can introduce the artisans directly to their customers. Craft Link also has a large export market and hosts workshops to teach handicrafts to children. All profits from sales are used to finance projects and activities, which means the organization does not need external funding.
Tran Tuyet Lan wrapped up her presentation by repeating that Craft Link is not only dedicated to cultural revival but also to the alleviation of poverty, building strong self-esteem among minority ethnic groups and connecting groups to global value chains.