SOURCE project enhances local artisans

By VonDez Phipps
Reporter-SKNVibes.com

(L-R) OAS Rep Starret Greene and Design and Marketing Consultant Lyn Nelson

Nelson arrived on St. Kitts on October 21 and has since met with the General Managers of the Craft House and on Nevis, the Craft House, Handicraft Society and the Newcastle Potters.

The project, she explained to SKNVibes, is sponsored by the Organization of American States (OAS) and is designed to allow artisans better access to the lucrative local and regional tourist markets as a source of income.
 
It also serves to assist local producers to position themselves to increase sales of their products to hotels and resorts on the twin-island state, she said.

“The overview of the SOURCE project is to identify and target artisans that have real creativity and are willing to work with us to design items for tourists, home accessories, and expatriate markets along with overseas markets, so that we can export really high quality products.

“The artisans that I’ve met here are incredibly talented. There is a lot of creativity here. However, there are a few challenges that may threaten their productivity including importing some of the necessary components for making new items, having ongoing design to ensure sustainable quality and avoid reversion, and having enough space to have new and creative ways to display craft,” she informed.

Nelson stated that the main way to ensure that the challenges are effectively addressed is for the consultants to come back, extend the programme and work closely with the artisans on the islands.  ~~Adz:Right~~

She stressed that the SOURCE project is entirely timely in light of the present economic downturn.  She alluded to the stark reality that “St. Kitts-Nevis will be getting a much smaller percentage of tourists and they would also be spending less”.

She underscored that “because of this international problem, they [local artisans] need to have better products, better display and better customer service”.
 
The SOURCE project was launched with initial concentration on St. Kitts-Nevis, Antigua-Barbuda and Dominica, and upon its success in these islands, is expected to be introduced to St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Grenada.