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BGC
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Why Handicrafts?  Results!

The artisanal sector produces sustainable and scalable income results, year-round, year after year. 

Senegal: Basket Project

  • One Importer

  • One Village

  • Thirty Women

Results Year One: 
Two 20-ft containers

Within 5 years:

  • One Importer

  • 30 Villages

  • 600 Women

Sixteen 40-ft containers  per year

Artisans stay in their villages, supporting rural livelihoods through handicrafts.

16-Fold
Increase

EQUITY AND INCLUSION

GESI is not an add-on

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Gender and social inclusion is essential to create lasting impact. When women, men, and marginalized groups have equal access to resources and decision-making, communities become more resilient and economies grow stronger. Inclusive approaches generate ideas and solutions that lead to work that is more effective, and sustainable.

BGC STRATEGY

1.

Know the Market — What buyers want. What they will pay. Who is buying. Competing collections. Where they source. Transport costs. Local, regional, and global realities.

2.

Know the Community — Artisan capabilities, existing materials and methodologies, collaborative opportunities, and material and production costs and constraints.

3.

Design for the Market — Create collections in accord with artisan realities that meet pricing thresholds, buyer preferences, and purchasing behavior. 

4.

Build Collaboration — Engage government agencies, support institutions, ecosystem partners and related artisan groups. Coordinate inputs and build local knowledge transfer.

6.

Link to the Market — Local wholesale markets (restaurants, hotels, shops), international buyer tours, regional and international trade show participation, and wholesale web platforms.

5.

Ongoing Mentoring — Post sales mentoring is crucial for success and scaling up.  TOTs prepare local professionals to support entrepreurship growth
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