Jewellery Co-operative
One of the projects we're really proud of is the Jewellery Co-op run by IHA-UDP in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Addis has a huge unemployment problem, with even those who are working often living on only $2 a day. IHA-UDP, with Cred's support, have been creating innovative community-owned employment schemes, including basket-weaving, clothing, fabrics and jewellery.
Local jewellers in Addis were often unable to make a living by plying their trade. Forced to borrow money to buy metals to work with, by the time repayments were made there was barely a pittance to live on. What’s more, they were forced to work from home in unsafe and less-than-ideal conditions.
Cred and IHA-UDP created a 5-year programme, facilitating the formation of a self-determining ‘Jewellers Co-operative’. Using a spare building owned by IHA-UDP we invested money in kitting out the workshop and providing funds for a stock of metals. The programme focused on developing resources, training and skills, enabling the jewellers to sell back to the local market.
The culmination of this work was in October last year, when Annabel Panes from CRED Jewellery visited to run a week in creative production. Rather than simply continuing to trot out the same traditional designs, with Annabel's help the co-operative trailed new designs and techniques, which were favourably received by local punters.
This is a great end to a project, with the Jewellery Co-op now established enough to be self-supporting, making innovative, traditionally-inspired jewellery for the Ethiopian market.
