Last year we told you about a project called "Making Tourism Benefit Communities Adjacent to Archaeological Sites". It is a project to teach Belizean producers how to make crafts that are genuine products of Belize. The $350,000 dollar project which has been awarded to a Caribbean consultant is being done in different segments. One such segment is diversification of the artisan product that is available in Belize - both physical products as well as experiential tourism. Artisans from around the country were selected to take part in the first stage of the training.
Judy Karwacki - Tourism Project Specialist
"The project has essentially a few key steps to it; the first was a rapid assessment, where we came in and working on 9 archaeological sites. So we've gone and we went into this area around Altun Ha and then up in Orange Walk because they've got Lamanai and Barton Creeek in these things - Cayo, because of Xunantunuch - Caves Branch, ATM etc. and Punta Gorda with Nim Li Punit, Lubaantun and Blue Creek. We went in and we met with community members and artisans and we did what we called a rapid assessment and based on that process and with the input of local coordinators, we engage people from the community who works with artisans, we select artisans or artisans groups to come to the first stage of training because in many cases we are taking a group approach because group supports each other and we told them to bring people."
"The first stage of training is two and a half days what we called small business training. It includes improving their professionalism, their entrepreneurship as well as enhancing product design and in the second stage is going to be an advanced product development stage where artisans (possibly all of them, but definitely we are looking for ones that have high levels of performance and ability) will be selected for more training on one and one basis and they will do that for the next 6 months."
Dennis Hecker - Artisan
"I've been an artist for 20 years sculpturing in the hard woods that grows in the northern part of the country."
Geovannu Brackett, reporter
"You have any particular wood that you specialize in or you used pretty much various different kinds of woods?"
Dennis Hecker - Artisan
"Two of the favorite woods for most artist is that area has been the zericote and the granadilla, but I'm the artist that works in the area with all the woods from the very soft ones."
Geovanni Brackett
"Can you tell us your experience of the first day of the workshop?"
Dennis Hecker - Artisan
"It was very enlightening, the lady that is presenting the workshop has done an excellent job."
Geovanni Brackett
"What it is specifically you like - like in terms of you are learning a little bit about the business side of it and how to improve your quality?"
Dennis Hecker - Artisan
"Product presentation, marketing, how we could display your work better, what to make, what is in demand and what type of wood you use."
The second stage of training will be an advance product development stage which will be done in a 6 month period.
Email
Print