ARTISANS AROUND THE WORLD

[Guest]

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[Evelyn Yvonne Theriault]

"An artisan is a skilled manual worker who crafts items that may be functional or strictly decorative, including furniture, clothing, jewelry, household items, and tools ..... Manufacture by hand and with hand tools imparts unique and individual qualities to artisanal products, in contrast to mass produced goods where every one is nearly identical. Artisans traditionally work in media such as wood, ceramics, glass, common and precious metals, basketry, textiles, and leather"
- Wikipedia, Artisan

Parallel Threads:
FARMS AROUND THE WORLD
HOMES AROUND THE WORLD
MACHINES AROUND THE WORLD
TRANSPORTATION AROUND THE WORLD

Also: RichardF has posted links to several excellent threads organized around Kiva entrepreneurs' occupations, arts etc.
http://www.kivafriends.org/index.php/topic,2345.msg37259.html#msg37259

KIVAPEDIA - EDUCATION CONNECTIONS
http://www.kivapedia.org/index.php/Main_Page/Education

Image below: Encyclopedie ou Dictionnaire Raisonne des Sciences, des Arts et des Metiers, 1751

[Evelyn Yvonne Theriault]

Name: Costancia Msambwa Location: Tanzania Notes ..... Due to Costancia's business skills, she has also managed to develop a successful vinyagos-sales venture. A vinyago is a beautiful, hand-crafted statue made from wood by members of the Makonde tribe who come from southeastern Tanzania. Woodcarving is an important part of Makonde life, both in ancestor worship and in their own myth of creation. Their wooden statues are of three main types: traditional masks, motifs of female ancestor worship, as well as more abstract, modern forms.....

Link:
Wikipedia, Makonde
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Makonde

Makonde Carvers, Mwenge 1


Makonde Carver talking about Sheitani (not in English)

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Want to help artisans around the world?
Then please drop by:
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[Evelyn Yvonne Theriault]

Name: Mrs.Pok Soor Location: Cambodia Notes Mrs. Pok Sour lives in Siem Reap province, Cambodia. She and her husband, 65 years old, together work making various kinds of baskets from bamboo and resell them to a broker who comes to collect at their base. Pok Sour has two children. One of them sells baskets at a distant market near a Thai border and another works as a mechanic. To meet her customer demands and increase her profit margin, Pok Sour would like a loan to purchase more bamboo and other materials. "Basket weaving (also basketry, basket making, or basketmaking) is the process of weaving unspun vegetable fibers into a basket or other similar form..... Basketry is made from a variety of fibrous or pliable materials — anything that will bend and form a shape. Examples include pine straw, animal hair, hide, grasses, thread, and wood." - Wikipedia, Basket weaving

[Elizabeth]

Name: Tolibjon Tojiboev Location: Abdurahmon Jomi, Tajikistan Primary Activity: Manufacturing Loan description: Tolibjon Tojiboev lives in the A. Jomi region of Tajikistan. He is 37 years old and is married with children. He is a high-school graduate and makes his living by producing storage boxes. This is his family's main source of income. Now is the wedding season in Tajikistan, and boxes are an essential part of wedding celebrations. Tolibjon would like to receive a loan for purchasing the necessary materials. He plans to pay off the loan within 10 months.

I love those bright colors against the stark stone background.

[Evelyn Yvonne Theriault]

Name: Joyce Mbowa Location: Kampala, Uganda Notes Joyce Mbowa is a Patchwork and Embroidery designer specializing in wall hangings of flowers, animals, birds, and persons ..... She has developed a good reputation with many International families living in Kampala and they have become customers. She has a stall near her home where she hangs and displays her work but she also does many hangings by special order for her customers. She is now in a good position to expand her business since the demand for her products is now more than what she can produce herself.. And in doing this she will be able to offer jobs to one or two other LiA members to assist her in the production process. To fund this expansion Joyce is seeking a loan in the amount of 800,000us. This will purchase enough materials to complete 100 wall hangings...... With the addition of some hired help, she will be able to complete the 100 hangings in four months.

Excerpt: Patchwork, Wikipedia
"A Patchwork or "pieced work" is a form of needlework that involves sewing together pieces of fabric into a larger design. The larger design is usually based on repeat patterns built up with different colored shapes. These shapes are carefully measured and cut, straight-sided, basic geometric shapes making them easy to piece together. Precise joining makes for patchwork that lies flat without puckers."
Link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patchwork

NEW TO KIVA?
Want to help artisans around the world?
Then please drop by:
http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses

[Evelyn Yvonne Theriault]

Name: Albena Gavazova Location: Bourgas, Bulgaria Notes Albena Gavazova ..... is a jewelry designer and has a special education on this subject. Her father is also a jewelry designer and she has worked long years as an assistant in his atelier where she gains experience. In 1992 her father retires and she takes this family business. She not only sells her jewelry but also makes regular exhibitions in galleries. She is well known as a master of jewelry making and has lots of customers. Now Albena Gazazova prepares another exhibition and needs materials for her jewelry .....

Link: Youtube video depicting ancient treasure - including jewelery

NEW TO KIVA?
Want to help artisans around the world?
Then please drop by:
http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses

[Evelyn Yvonne Theriault]

Name: Victor Dzade Location: Togoville, Togo Notes Mr. Victor DZADE, aged 43, sculptor by profession, is married with one daughter. After having to abandon his education at secondary level due to lack of support, he then taught himself how to sculpt. He has been doing this work for 15 years, but he cannot really make any progress because of insufficient finances. .... He is now requesting a $950 loan which will be used to buy tools and raw materials. [/b].

NEW TO KIVA?
Want to help artisans around the world?
Then don’t forget to visit:
http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses and read the stories of

[Evelyn Yvonne Theriault]

Name: Logossou Kokou Ahli Location: Lome, Togo Notes ..... A very bright and intelligent child, he never learn the form of artist/painting/drawer which he exercises with efficacity. His paintings have made him a celebrity during various expositions. Thanks to this work, he is able to take care of his parents and his three brothers. Today, he is hoping to hold a large art show which would allow him to be better known as his paintains are appreciated in greater depth in Europe and the United States. This project is important and deserves to be supported, and Mr. Ahli lacks the necessary funds to carry this out .....[/b].

NEW TO KIVA?
Want to help artisans around the world?
Then don’t forget to visit:
http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses and read the stories of

[Evelyn Yvonne Theriault]

Name: Logossou Kokou Ahli   Notes ..... Solialii’s runs a stand at the flea market in the Samoan village of Fugalei. Solialii sells her goods to local customers and tourists alike, and most of what Solialii stocks is handmade by her and her husband using Samoan materials, especially coconut shells.[/b].

NEW TO KIVA?
Want to help artisans around the world?
Then don’t forget to visit:
http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses and read the stories of

[redstarr]

I love those bright colors against the stark stone background.

Those boxes are beautiful!  Really super cool.