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Sharing the passion and soul of needlecrafts. |
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COLUMNS |
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Sharing the passion and soul of needlecrafts. |
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COLUMNS |
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Over the years, ATA has worked in 110 countries and is currently working in approximately 12. Haiti is one of the countries currently working with ATA. “We’ve had a long history with Haiti. It’s an amazing place. The craftsmanship there is really tremendous. The country has been devastated by conflict and we’ve hung in there and worked hard with the Haitians to help develop their export businesses,” O’Connor further explains. Though ATA’s focus may have changed, their commitment to artisans remains the same -- they are committed to supporting artisan development by helping artisans understand the market, and training them in business skills so that they have the ability to access new markets. Artisan groups working with ATA are generally organizations, associations, cooperatives, and at times, individuals. Groups are chosen in a variety of ways; sometimes these groups respond to requests to proposals from development organizations who know where there is a need and contact ATA. “We have a very active trade network of about 70 importers in the United States and they know of artisan groups who need help and often recommend them to us,” says O’Connor. While there is no artisan certification process, nor specific criteria to meet, ATA makes every effort to verify that artisan groups receive fair wage and work in good working conditions. ATA is generally not a funding organization, but rather one that depends on donations. However, they do have a small grants program. O’Connor explains, “We have a small amount of money available to artisan groups of $500-$1500 to jumpstart their business. This past year, our budget was $5.5 million. We were able to generate sales of $30 million for artisans around the world. The funds received are really well-used.”
To learn more about ATA’s mission, how they work with artisan around the world on ways to develop sustainable, profitable businesses in order to improve their livelihoods or to purchase or donate online, readers are encouraged to check the website periodically.
Phone: (860) 947-3344
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Aid to Artisans (ATA), a nonprofit group that assists artisans worldwide,
was originally started in Boston about 31 years ago. The idea then was to
help disadvantaged artisans to market their projects mainly in the United
States. ATA’s focus has since changed from assisting artisans with
marketing their products to helping them target markets more effectively.
According to ATA’s President, David O’Connor, this change has brought
ATA to a whole new level. "The impact of ATA’s work has been really
significant. Over the past decade, we’ve reached more than 100,000
artisans. It’s made a huge difference in artisan lives and the lives of
their communities.”
To improve the perception of hand-made amongst retailers and consumers,
ATA also publishes a magazine, Hand/Eye. This exciting,
multi-purpose magazine, published twice a year, informs about design
trends, artisan development, current events in the artisan world.
Hand/Eye has made a tremendous impact on readers, customers, and
donors and is available for download on ATA’s website.