Afrika Tiss, weaving change in Ouagadougou

This week we welcome Afrika Tiss to Storie, as they launch their new collection of Ikat textiles “Nouages”, all hand loomed in Burkina Faso. This type of weaving in West Africa is traditionally practised on a small loom, creating thin bands of ikat cloth.

The team at Afrika Tiss has trained a group of women weavers in Ouagadougou to use larger looms, to elaborate and develop ancient weaving techniques to magnificent effect. This is just the latest in a series of sophisticated weaving projects by Afrika Tiss, available on Storieshop.com as from 7 June 2019.

Ikat weave. Textile Centre of Excellence, Ouagadougou, image Afrika Tiss

This collection is a collaboration between French textile designer Manon Brugière and the weavers in Burkina Faso.

Several African countries produce cotton, but the textile industry is not very widely developed. Africa’s leading cotton producer, Burkina Faso, is a case in point. Its cotton industry employs several hundreds of thousands of farmers, and represents 60% of the country’s exports. In 2012, Burkina Faso produced over 500,000 tonnes of cottonseed, but only processed 2%/.

The main goal of Afrika Tiss is to bring weaving back to its traditional birthplace, where raw materials are produced, and where the knowledge and skills of talented men and women abound. All products made by Afrika Tiss are fair trade.

In 2013 Afrika Tiss opened a weaving centre in Ouagadougou aiming to strengthen the countries textile handicraft sector, at the same time as giving new training opportunities to disadvantaged artisans.

The women involved in the project are trained in dyeing and weaving techniques that allow them to broaden their know-how and create a high quality product. The fashion & home accessories made here are sold on the international market through Afrika Tiss assuring women a fair and regular income. More than 30 women have been trained and currently work for the programme.

Afrika Tiss also organises a yarn dyeing training, facilitated by a local organisation, AFRIKOLOR, specialised in dyeing from guaranteed synthetic dyes without heavy metals. This enables the crafters to master dyeing techniques, and allows them to reduce the health and environmental impact of chemical dyeing techniques.

There is an additional training on natural dyeing, a technique Afrika Tiss is investing in for future collections. The centre also organises sewing and design workshops.

AFRIKA TISS KEY OBJECTIVES

Goal : from natural fibre production to local cotton transformation, the mission of Afrika Tiss is to help develop a handmade textile sector in West Africa that respects people and the environment.

Specific objectives:

*Strengthen the production capacity, the entrepreneurial skills, and social support for female crafts workers, and thereby help them to become more socially and financially independent.

*Preserve biodiversity and the environment by promoting ecological techniques for handmade products.

*Encourage knowledge sharing and creative expression amongst designers and artisans to help revive and give rise to innovative and unique products.

*Promote and leverage the wealth and diversity of handmade textile heritage from West Africa.

 AFRIKA TISS VALUES

Sharing: In a way that preserves the authenticity of West African craftwork heritage, Afrika Tiss ensures that artisans and designers work together in harmony, in a mutually enriching relationship.

Respect: In the course of its activities, Afrika Tiss exchanges with its beneficiaries often to ensure that they maintain a healthy work-life balance.

Fairness: Afrika Tiss provides fair pay to its supplier artisans.

Independence: From training up through production, Afrika Tiss activities aim to support the artisans it works with, so they can become more socially and financially independent.

Later this month we will be showcasing a stunning second collection by Afrika Tiss, created in collaboration with the UNCHR, called "Design For Peace" - craft made by refugees living in the north of Burkina Faso.

Watch this space .......

https://www.afrikatiss.org/en/