Partnership between Auhof Basket Company in Linz and Binga Craftcentre to continue

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Created: Tuesday, 30 January 2007 22:02

Dear friends,

we want to inform you, that with effect from 26 January 2007 the new website of our ABC company’s website is online (again) with a new company logogram.

The link is on our school homepage www.hakauhof.eduhi.at
but you can directly access our site: http://www2.hakauhof.eduhi.at/auhofbasket/

In September 2006 our teacher Hedi Kuthan and eleven students from 4BK have (re)established the Auhof Basket Company and we had already good sales during some Christmas markets.

Soon we will promote the Auhof Basket Project through a workshop with local Radio FRO and its programme broadcast.

Regards

Hedi Kuthan / Auhof Basket Company ABC

  ABC is a so-called training firm at Linz Auhof Business School. This project started first time when in September 2001 a course of 20 students (about 17-18 years old)  established a market for Tonga baskets in Austria as a training subject. Since then three more intakes took up the challenge. The students are trying to find marketing outlets in Linz or in the province for Tonga baskets. The task will be to mediate between the Binga Craft's Centre and the retailers in Austria. Communication before establishing such connections will be done by students via e-mail. Furthermore students will be involved in all logistics related to the import business.

The baskets are produced by Tonga women in the remote Zambezi Valley to generate much needed income. Binga Craft Centre is organised as a women’s co-operative and purchases the goods from individual women, all members of the co-operative. It also provides training for the women in the form of environmental management, quality control and training for board members and club office bearers. The income is used for food, school fees and medicine for the families.

Traditionally the Tonga baskets are used as household items but also sold to tourists as a souvenir at places like Victoria Falls, Kariba or Harare. Now they are for sale in Austria too.
abc has been importing directly from Binga Craft Centre in Zimbabwe and sells the baskets to retailers and consumers in Austria. Such kind of training under real terms provides not only business skills but also understanding for another culture.  Through this projects students will get to know about the Tonga people, their economic situation and the culture. A real advantage will be to communicate directly with producers of handicraft.

Eventually the students have earmarked part of the profit made by the basket sales for the Tonga.Online project especially for the promotion of women's and girls' access to modern ICT and computer skills. Buying baskets from abc is therefore not only supporting basket weaving women groups and their livelihood but also the Tonga community at large.

See also: www.bingacraft.co.zw

Thank you for your support - twalumba!