Co-operative des Artisans celebrates 70 years |19 May 2008

The group is organising activities this month to mark the occasion and also the fact that May is the month dedicated to artisan workers in Seychelles.

The co-operative is calling on the public to take part in the Paradise FM breakfast show quiz from May 19-23 when prizes sponsored by its members can be won.

Chairperson Mariette McKelvey said the prizes will include various craft items, all handmade by members of the co-operative.

Another activity planned is an exhibition to be opened in the afternoon of May 23 at the Co-operative des Artisans craft and souvenir shop on Independence Avenue.
 
It will highlight the changes the co-operative has undergone over the years and showcase the work of the artisans, some 80 of them working from their homes on Mahe, Praslin and La Digue. Most of the work produced is sold at the Victoria shop.

The Co-operative des Artisans was founded in 1938 under the name Seychelles Home Industries. Its main aims are to encourage local craftsmen and women to use only local materials such as wood, fibre and shells to produce items handmade in Seychelles, to encourage the transfer of art and craft skills through the generations, mainly within families, and provide an outlet for the sale of craftwork.

In spite of many challenges and hard times, the co-operative has stayed true to its goals and “handmade in Seychelles” remains the hallmark of its products.

It has been helped by having a shop in a prime position in the older part of Victoria. Sandwiched between Barclays Bank and the law courts on Independence Avenue, the outlet is visited by a large number of visitors, foreign and local, throughout the year.

The shop has enabled many members to display and sell their works and showcase their talents which, in many cases, could have stayed hidden.