Local craftsmen revive straw and fibre industry |11 August 2009

A group of 12 people ranging in age from 22 to 53 have been meeting for the past few weeks at the Village Artisanal at Au Cap to learn the trade.
 
With Jenny Ah-Kon as leader and Brenda Valentin as trainer, the group are following a month-long course that is due to end on August 13.

The workshop is named the “vetiver and coco de mer training” after the materials being used, which also includes latanier leaves.

Mrs Valentin said there are two main components to her teaching: “First those present learn how to harvest, dry and work with the leaves and fibres in their natural state.

“Then they learn how to make them into raw materials that others can use, or even make the finished products themselves. Seychelles has an abundance of various kinds of palms, grass and straw that can be transformed into craft products of high commercial value, which is also one of our aims.”

Raw materials include plaited and woven palm leaves and fibres that can be turned into finished items such as handbags, hats, purses, decorative flowers and table mats.

“Even though we are already proficient in this industry, we still had to do a lot of research before this workshop,” said Mrs Ah-Kon.

“We spoke to a number of people, including the older generation who were very proficient in this field, and also people from the Department of Environment, about harvesting coco de mer leaves.”

She added that in reviving this trade, the association is also aiming to help create awareness in young people of the potential of this sector, in the tourist and domestic markets, as a source of income and employment.

Mrs Ah-Kon said the association will continue with such courses, depending on available financial support, with the next one being to show how discarded bits of cloth from seamstresses can be used to make craft objects. Another one, using paper, will be held at a later date.