Ahmedabad: Directors and lecturers from the Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, India, have called for collaboration between the Institute and Ghana’s handicraft sector and academia to harness the sector’s potential. They emphasized that adding value to finished products is crucial for generating revenue and income for citizens, which in turn could contribute to the country’s economic growth.
According to Ghana News Agency, Madam Neelima Hasija, Head of International Programmes and Collaborations, highlighted the importance of understanding value addition, design techniques, and innovative trends and technologies through collaboration and synergy. This statement was made during a visit by journalists from West and Central Africa to the institute, organized by the Ministry of External Affairs, India.
Madam Hasija shared that they have engaged with basket weavers in Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, and Ghana as part of efforts to create a vibrant craftsmanship ecosystem in the global south. The initiative involved selecting 2
5 women from these countries for craftsmanship projects and sending Indian representatives to learn about the skill set, raw material acquisition, and existing practices in Africa.
In an interview, Madam Hasija noted some limitations in the Ghanaian team’s designs, which do not fully meet market demands despite the satisfactory quality of raw materials like elephant grass, straw, bamboo, and leather. She emphasized the need for the Ghanaian craft industry to have the requisite tools and social media skills to cater to market demands and expressed interest in further collaborations.
Madam Andrea Noronha, Head of Outreach Programme Lead, Furniture Design, mentioned that the Institute is leveraging cutting-edge technology to develop bamboo resources for modern products such as furniture and kitchen equipment. She pointed out that these efforts help depict cultural identity while generating revenue.
Mr. Samir More, Programme Officer, International Programmes, stated that they have signed 100 Memorandum of Unde
rstanding (MoUs) globally, focusing on full and exchange programmes. In Africa, they have exchange programmes with institutions such as the Faculty of Arts, Design and Architecture in Johannesburg, South Africa, Kigali Institute of Science and Technology in Rwanda, and the Faculty of Arts, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana.