Tech-enabled market access

The solution targets extreme poverty and vulnerability of traditional artisans who are predominantly women and youth, as a result of loss of employment and source of livelihood in artisan sector caused by lack of capacity support to adopt the increasingly applied digital marketing and e-commerce.

The solution is an innovative and targeted digital capacity development model titled, “Development of digital and e-commerce literacy for craft market access” and development of targeted and specialized online craft market place “craftsfromafrica.net” The training model which has 2 modules on craft documentation and cataloguing and digital marketing and e-commerce is customized to the special needs of traditional artisans .

This will lead to reclaimed employment, incomes and source of livelihood from the sector as a result of competitively accessing global craft market due to digital and e-commerce competencies which has a trickle-down effect of developing craft enterprises, design innovations and joining international craft market.

Extreme poverty and vulnerability of traditional artisans who are predominantly women in remote areas and disadvantaged communities, as a result of loss of traditional employment and source of livelihood in artisan sector caused by lack of capacity support to adapt to the increasingly applied digital marketing and e-commerce.

Traditionally, artisan sector is 2nd to agriculture in providing employment and source of livelihood. In Uganda, and Africa at large the traditional uses of craft as containers, covers and tools have largely been replaced by products of modern industries and hence killing the traditional local market of crafts. The alternative growing global market of crafts in tourism, leisure, beauty and entertainment sectors require capacity support to adopt digital marketing and e-commerce. This need has recent been exacerbated by the effects of COVID – 19 pandemic which have suddenly and exclusively promoted digital economy. In the Albertine Rift Region of Uganda 90% of practical uses of craft products at community level have been replaced by imported products of modern industries.

Lack of capacity support has isolated traditional artisans and the internationally growing handmade and creative manufacturing sector is bypassing them. This sector currently has US$ 500 annual revenue globally.

An innovative and targeted digital capacity development model titled, “Development of digital and e-commerce literacy for craft market access” and maintenance of targeted and specialized online crafts online market place “craftsfromafrica.net”

The capacity development model has 2 sets of toolkits or modules; one on craft documentation and cataloguing and the 2nd on digital marketing and e-commerce.

The design of the model, considers the special characteristics of craft enterprises and the special capacity needs of traditional artisans who are often non-literate, digitally excluded and operating in remote, traditional and underserved contexts.

The model therefore introduces community based process facilitators who provide back-up technical and literacy support to artisans in training and practice in unstructured interactions.

The core activities of the solution, therefore include; re-development and maintenance of the online market place, recruitment, training and ongoing appraisal of the community based process facilitators, 2 module training sessions per intake, periodic review and update of the training tools, establishment and maintenance of international business linkages and professional networking, promotions, sector advocacy, dissemination of results of the solution and publication of the model.

The solution serves traditional artisans who are predominantly vulnerable women and youth in remote areas and disadvantaged communities. In feasibility study, they identified their needs, problems and potentials which informed the design of the solution. Those who remain resilient and consistent in their traditional artisan practices, despite the diminishing economic profitability, have not accessed formal education and training, are digitally excluded and have traditional craft making as the only livelihood skills which also provides them a sense of cultural identity. They need an innovative and targeted capacity development to enable them adopt to the growing digital marketing and e-commerce. This will lead to increased incomes, job creation and source of livelihood as a result of competitively accessing the global craft market due to digital marketing and e-commerce skills which has a trickle-down effect of developing craft businesses, design innovations and products development and hence join the internationally growing homemade and creative manufacturing industry.

The growing digital economy which has been exacerbated by the effects of COVID – 19 pandemic economically excluded traditional artisans who lack capacity support to adopt it. This led to loss of traditional employment and source of livelihood in the sector and hence getting pushed to extreme poverty and vulnerability.

Through an innovative and customized digital training model, traditional artisans who are predominantly women and youth in remote areas and disadvantaged communities will be given the required digital literacy to access the global craft market and hence reclaim employment and source of livelihood in the sector.

The stage of this solution is determined as pilot based on the activities which have so far been done in the process of its development towards impact at scale. A feasibility study was done on traditional artisans and level and challenges of accessing the global craft market, problems, needs and potentials were identified which informed the design of the customized digital capacity development. Structures, institutions, networks and human resources for the implementation of the solution were established. The training model has been applied on 200 traditional artisans from the Batooro community in the Albertine Rift Region of Uganda where the initial hypothesizes have been tested and reviews on and updating toolkits are underway. The market place www.craftsfromafrica.net and several international business partnership were established and are now being consolidated.

The developed digital capacity development model, as it is customized to special needs and characteristics of traditional artisans who have been universally excluded from existing models, is new, unique and clearer in its design, philosophy and execution.

The traditional artisans in any community are universally characterized by having no or limited formal training and education, digitally excluded and operating in indigenous and traditional contexts which are characterized by remoteness, severe limitations and limited service delivery. The existing digital capacity development models aimed at connecting people to digital economy, have not taken consideration of these special needs of traditional artisans and hence excluded them and this is the niche of the model.

As a unique characteristic, among others, the model introduces community-based process facilitators who provide back-up technical and literacy support to artisans in the entire process of training and practice. Equally, the toolkits and designed and executed in consideration of the special needs of traditional artisans. This lead to reaching the hitherto unreached and excluded and therefore scaling impact of digital capacity development investment.

The execution of this model, is community driven as it integrates community resource people and adopts community processes than solely relying on formal and structured training sessions. This makes the model cost effective in driving towards the desired impact. Since traditional artisans exist in every community and with universally similar conditions of exclusion and disadvantages, the model is therefore replicable.

Currently, the solution is serving 500 artisans as direct participants and affecting 10,000 as indirect beneficiaries who include group and family members of direct participants.

Next year, the solution should be able to serve 100,000 people as it starts to be replicated by several partners in different countries who are currently being identified and empowered. In 5 years, we project the solution to serve not less than 2 million people spread in several countries.

The current key performance indicators include;

• Number of people that are recruited into the activities segregated by age and gender
• Number of viable craft businesses and enterprises which are using digital solutions to market and sell craft products. Number of people using the established online market place www.craftsfromafrica.net

Full time - 4

Part time - 3

Contractors – 3

- The team leader is Mr. Stephen Rwagweri, who is a social worker by profession with a 20 years’ experience in development work and specializing in culture and development where he is internationally recognized as a culture expert and accredited to provide expert services to UNESCO. His mother was a master artisan and main supplier of craft products for rituals and ceremonies like marriage and burial rituals. He was raised up and educated by incomes from craft and supported by the associated goodwill from the community members. He has grown observing how the traditional artisans have been economically relegated from the growing handmade and creative manufacturing sector and pushed to the margins because of the growing application of the digital economy where the traditional artisans are not empowered to adapt.

- Businge Gerald is a multimedia communication specialist with 2 years’ experience in online journalism, content development and documentation.

- Esther Kapaska is a professional designer with 10 years professional experience in design activities, craft enterprise management and craft export marketing.

- Ruth Nnansimbe is a professional designer and master artisan with a 2 years’ experience in craft production and networking.

- John Kintu is a marketing consultant with 17 years’ experience in training and market development consultancies.   

In the effort to reflect the principles of diversity, equity and inclusiveness, we have a three point criterion in constituting a leadership team for the implementation of the solution.

- Relevant expertise. We look for people with relevant skills and expertise that will help to bring about effectiveness in the implementation of the solution.

- Constituency representation. We seek representation of the target people which the solution serves so that their consent, aspirations, concerns and perspectives and well captured in the design and implementation of the solution.

- Gender and age balance. We seek to balance gender and age so that there is equity and inclusiveness and intergenerational transmission of knowledge for greater impact and sustainability.

- We apply to MIT Solve to access technical guidance, coaching, mentorship to strength and perfect the solution and hence position it for attracting funding as a critical requirement for its implementation

- We apply to MIT Solve to access information, recommendation and connection which can lead to acquiring funding of implementation of the solution.

- We apply to MIT Solve to access funding of solutions which is immediately available at MIT Solve.

On financials and investment 

Specialized technical assistance would be required in the areas of financial planning, accounting and management. Equally guidance and exploration of investment opportunities that are relevant and compliant with the framework of the implementation of the solution.

On services distribution

This would relate to partnership for replication and scale of the solution. It also refers to partnership for generating customers of African crafts around the world.

On technology

Partnership support would be required for the continuous development of the market place and application of e-commerce and crowd sourcing tools. 

We hope in MIT Solve itself and the Solve community members but at the moment we cannot point out the name of a specific member.

The solution tech-enabled market access is a best fit for this prize since it advances digital equity, inclusion and promotion of economic opportunity for the less advantaged. This solution promotes digital inclusion for the excluded and marginalized traditional artisans.

The solution tech-enabled market access targets traditional artisans who are predominantly women to digitally empower them for market access for their craft products. This fits very well in the concept, objectives and target of the prize.

The prize target solution which uses innovative and sustainable approach to alleviate poverty among others and contribute to a sustainable world. Tech-enabled market access uses innovative digital capacity development model to address loss of craft market by traditional artisans and hence alleviate poverty and contribute to sustainable world