The impact of design training ARCES Treasurer, PK12

« First, I did my training with a French woman, I learned from her that you can easily mix two different colors, for example: green and white. Sincerely, it was useful to me and I came out proud of it. In fact, our trainer suggested that we mix several colors to embellish the mat. Indeed, the second training I had with another trainer was an extension of what had been done before. He was a French specialist in artisanal products, he told us to be thrifty or much more efficient to achieve the goal. He really insisted on the overuse of color and fully advised us to be wise and rigorous also to make our work pretty. « 

Institutional capacity building Leysani, ARCES, PK12

« I am the president of the association. If I look back at the history of our activities, it all started when foreigners came to give us training. They also trained us on the laws that govern the association and the limits of each of us. For this, each member of the executive committee has his own task in which no other should intervene. I, the president, must not intervene, for example, in the task of marketing or accounting. We also have a woman who controls the quality of our products. Thanks to our e-mail and computers, we can communicate with everyone, even with internationals like Ethiopians for example.

Recently, I exchanged an email with a Kenyan woman I met in the UNFD and sent her pictures of our products. We also make to order for ceremonies including weddings. The association receives 10% of their sales from its members. « 

Participation of artisans in sales events

. The positive points

. Member, Hawliyo Hantiwadaag

“This is the income that we get from it and that we didn’t have before. That’s why we make the effort … When you work for yourself, that you don’t have to beg someone, that’s the benefit of the project. « 

. Fathia, ADDLA, Assamo

“This training was a plus in that it showed us how to adapt to market trends. Previously, our products were made at random but with this project, we have a target clientele and that helps us enormously. Today we are a recognized association which has a certain visibility. We have a catalog …

We put a label on each item with the name of the owner of the merchandise and the price. After the sale, we keep the labels to do the accounting and give everyone their due.

In the old days, we sold and after all got mixed up. We did not know who had sold and what. Sometimes we even got into debt. But today, the price tag and the owner’s name make all the difference, thanks to the training that ADDS has given us … « .

The impact of marketing training

. Fathia I., ADDLA, Assamo

« I am the treasurer of the association which had the great luck to be trained in marketing by Frédéric. The latter is essential nowadays, it allows us to better sell our products. Before, we relied only on fate for our sale, now we smile whenever a potential customer appears in the distance to attract them. We display ourselves with the product, we ask him to put it on to photograph it, for example, to show him that it is beautiful with it. We pay attention to the best sellers at a fair or exhibition to copy the best selling models later. We are very careful with the competition. Training is more beneficial than funding but today that we have both, we thank the Lord for it. Before, there were few women who made these products because hardly anyone bought them …

“Thanks to Propeja, I went to AddisAbeba (Ethiopia) to learn marketing. We were taught how to properly decorate our stands, how to organize our sales, how to attract customers and how to welcome them too… We went to see people from AddisAbeba, telling us that Djiboutians did not have a sense of entrepreneurship. , why this state of mind? In fact, they don’t know the method. Today, we have learned the method through the design, the decoration of the stands, the colors for the basketwork. Finally, we learned how to attract and welcome customers. Everything we have, we apply it as soon as we exhibit …