Glass beads
1 year later
CLaSH (association for children with language, speach & hearing impairments) was winner of the wackiest idea prize in 2005. Wacky or not, this glass bead business has been started!
15 people with speach and hearing impairments have been trained to produce glass beads, 4 have been offered a job. The beads are sold to a local craft shop in Windhoek, also other shops have shown interest in the product.
with:
| Country | Namibia |
|---|---|
| Total investment | €15,500 (€2,500 from BiD Challenge + €12.000 from French embassy + €1000 from Dutch recycling project 'De Pelgrims Hoeve') |
| Turnover | no exact figures yet |
| Direct employment | 4 people (permanent employment contract) |
| Indirect employment | 2 trainers (from Ghana) |
| Contribution to Millennium Goals | Training of 15 young deaf people. 14 of them are women. They built up knowledge and skills to produce glass beads. They gained self confidence; one deaf woman learned Namibian Sign Language and can communicate now with her other deaf people. Because 4 of them have now a permanent job their families are indirectly benefiting too. 2 women have started their own business at Tsinstabis after the training |
Achievements
- Aquisition of funding: besides funding from BiD Challenge and French embassy, CLaSH received funding from a recycling project in the Netherlands: De Pelgrims Hoeve in Zoetermeer.
- In November 2005, 14 women and one young man were trained by two Ghanian bead masters. Quote from Orna d.d. 21-11-05 "15 deaf participants thoroughly enjoy the training and demonstrate amazing interest and admirable commitment. Up to now they have learned the whole theory of making glassbeads. They have built the oven together, using clay and metal spare parts from broken cars, and they have learned how to grind glass to different degrees of fineness. Early this week they will fire the oven for the first time and start to produce the first recycled Namibian glass beads. Three women from Tsintsabis were also part of the training course. In Tsintsabis, a San community, they have built there own oven and we are waiting to see their first results.
- An advanced training was held in February 2006. Again by the master bead maker from Ghana.
- Partnership with the Penduka Development Project (www.penduka.com), where the workshop and the clay oven have been established and where the training workshops have taken place. Penduka assists the group of deaf adults with marketing and sales. Penduka is a development organization for women in Namibia. The organization is based in Katutura, the former black township of Windhoek. Penduka has experience in employing deaf people and some of their hearing employees/management team can sign.
- The beads are sold via the shop of Penduka. Also other shops (potential buyers) in Windhoek have shown interest in the beads. The beads are very popular; as soon as they arrive in the shop the beads are sold. Penduka attracts lots of foreign visitors who are observing production processes and buying their products, incl. the glass beads.
Challenges and plans for 2007
The group needs to produce more beads more quickly. The quality needs to become more consistent and the variety needs to improve.
The project is not profitable yet.
The biggest expense at the moment is the fire wood for the oven and the salaries. The group is small (4 people), when one person is absent the whole production slows down.
Plans for 2007
- We intend to invite the master glass bead maker from Ghana again for a month-long follow-up training, addressing not only the advanced group but training up new apprentices as well.
- Improve quality and efficiency
- Search for more cost-effective ways to fire the oven and/or alternative methods to melt the glass.
- Expansion of sales network
Needs
- Ideas on cheaper fuel/firing for the clay oven or alternative sources of excessive heat
- Training in the creative use of beads, offering opportunities beyond the mere production of glass beads
- Technical support for the trading and marketing of the beads, locally and in future internationally
- Technical support for the group (or newly trained people) to set up their own small businesses.
Contact Orna Otto if you are willing and able to help her with the above.
"The BiD Challenge provided an initial starting capital. We were proud to receive the prize for the wackiest idea. It gave us the 'spark' to look for additional funding and to get the project off the ground."
Mr.
This is a very noble thing you are doing. I am sorry I can not help directly with the things you need, but would be interested in buying the beads as I am having a small shop selling fashion accessories and jewelry with a bias to ethnic or traditional oranaments, necklaces, eariings, bracellets etc.
Mathangani