Economic Growth Cambodia Project #16990

Artisans Associations of Cambodia

by World Rehabilitation Fund

Project Report | Oct 8, 2014
April-June 2014 AAC Activities Report

By Leyla Dursunova | Development Associate

World Fair Trade Day

Artisans’ Association of Cambodia (AAC), Quarterly Report April-June 2014

Assistance Provided to AAC Members:

On April 28^th, 2014, AAC Director assisted Peace Handicrafts and Silks in exporting to a buyer in Germany, with obtaining a Certificate of Origin. An NGO cannot officially export and even cannot apply for Certificate of origin for export. Only registered company can apply for CO for export.
Marketing Assistant has been working with Fileo organization in marketing, with Craft Village in business development.

Training and Technical Assistance

20-21 May 2014: Training course on Product Development and Merchandising by ITC
26 May 2014: Training course on Market Development/Marketing focusing on Communication with Buyers, Order Handling and Trade Fair preparation for members who work with silk.
Occupational Health and Safety, ongoing
Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training: AAC in collaboration with Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training, visited trainees with an aim to follow up the implementation of their work plan developed during the training, help them to proper set up their production place as well as to respond all question that they may have. The team had worked with two participated groups in Phnom Penh. AAC and HomeNet Cambodia will follow up on this specific activity and voluntarily assistance.

Promoting Fair Trade Principles

Organized a celebration of the World Fair Trade Day on May 10, 2014. Media: The National TV (TVK) and Bayon TV came to the event and took the video and TVK televised in the evening of the same day. As for Bayon televised twice within the week.
Assisted Rajana Association to become a provisional member
Assist WFTO in Asia to assess new membership

3. Volunteers

A Strategic Designer supported by Development Sans Frontier (DSF) completed her volunteer term from November 13 to January 2014, but was requested to extend her stay for another three months. During the time, the volunteer stayed and worked with AAC as a Strategic Designer. They provided services to WAC, Sentosa Silk, Rajana Associaiton, Sonas, Sak Saum, Nyemo. AAC raised funds from those members to support the extended mission of the Strategic Designer. Her extended mission was completed by April 26^th, 2014. Every member responded positively and were content with her services. However, AAC Director and the Strategic Designer met and discussed the possibilities for her to come back to work with AAC and its member organizations for three months twice a year. This opportunity may be implemented by the end of the year.
6 months Marketing Volunteer from middle of April to September of 2014. Mr. Thimas Maydat has begun his work before Khmer New Year; he followed a work plan developed together with AAC’s Director. He began by visiting a selection of AAC members who are in most need of marketing support and those were: Rajana Association, Craft Village, Cambodia Children Fund, KSPA, Saves the Nature Cambodia, WAC, Fileo, Villageworks Songkehem Co., ltd and AFESIP Fair Fashion. AAC facilitated meetings with those members to introduce a new volunteer and his qualification as well to identify what part of the market development and market linkage needs that the volunteer can address. The volunteer also presented the outcomes from his previous visit.
AAC director also has assigned the volunteer to work on the showroom, improve AAC website and link it to AAC members’ website, revise AAC’s brochure and flier and create a new catalogue to represent a selection of AAC members for sending to AAC’s current and potential buyers.
AAC continues seeking volunteers to work with AAC and its members from September 2014 onward.

Marketing and Communication Activities

AAC brochure developed and distributed to public place
AAC email-able product catalogue developed
AAC Website being updated
Developed promotional flyer featuring AAC members for potential buyers
AAC Social Media developed
Met with Carpet for Community to discuss about their project in Poi Pet

Tools

Mr. Chan at work at AAC member organization

Links:

Artisans' Association of Cambodia

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Jul 16, 2014
Summary of Semiannual Report, April 2014

By Leyla Dursunova | Development Associate

Artisans’ Association of Cambodia (AAC), April 2014

Summary Semiannual Report

Membership

The current number of member organizations of the AAC is 40 groups. This quarter, interest in membership has been expressed by 8 more groups. These are Joy of Cambodia, Clay Cult Cambodia, STOPSTART Enterprises, Cambodia Weaving Village/SONAS, Kravan House, Lady Penh, Craft Art, and De Arbre.

Clay Cult is located in Siem Reap and the others are all Phnom Penh based. Joy of Cambodia and Clay Cult are excellent examples of the type of programs that AAC is most interested in supporting. Joy supports poor women living in a slum area of Phnom Penh. They make products from recycled inner tubes of bicycles. Clay Cult is aimed at helping disadvantaged youth by training them to make ceramic products.

Technical Assistance and Training

Training and technical assistance during this period was provided in the areas of design, marketing and organizational development.

A. Design

During this period, AAC provided technical assistance in strategic design for 11 organizations and overall training in this area for 19 organizations.

Strategic Design Training: AAC was able to enlist a volunteer expert in Strategic Design from Development Sans Frontiers to work with the AAC Director. There were 25 people from 19 member organizations who attended the training. The training was designed to provide attendees with a methodology to use in relation to their own brands with regard to appropriate design strategy and to use this methodology to improve their product with regard to quality,

Strategic Design Technical Assistance: Seven AAC members were provided strategic design assistance from the volunteer expert. These members included Sak Saum, Sentosa Silk and Rehab Craft Cambodia from Phnom Penh; Woman for Woman from Kandal; Cambodian Weaving Village/Sonas from Takeo; Homeland/Meato Phum Kma from Battambang; and Carpet for Communities from Poi Pet City.

The second round members who have been receiving design assistance from the Strategic Designer included all seven of the organizations involved in the initial technical assistance plus four other organizations - Rajana Handicraft Association, Wathan Artisans Cambodia, Nyemo, and Home Net Cambodia.

B. Marketing

The design volunteer also worked with the AAC Director to formulate guidelines for members to help them improve use of showroom/shop concept to guide members in creating the showroom/shop displays and merchandizing strategies.

Marketing Development Volunteer, recruited from Development Sans Frontiers came to provide marketing expertise starting in April 2014 and will remain for 6 months. Selected AAC members are undergoing SWOT analysis to provide information that will allow him to provide specific interventions for these members in the area of marketing.

C. Organizational Development/Management Assistance

Technical assistance in organizational development matters was provided to three member organizations.

Mekong Quilt: On January 19^th, 2014, Mekong Quilt Cambodia consulted with AAC on how to becoming a local NGO. The AAC Director provided advice on the process of registration with the appropriate ministry and how to prepare the legal documents required.

Yodicraft: On January 21^st, 2014, The Director of Yodicraft sought support from the AAC Director in planning the future of Yodicraft and how to maintain membership with AAC. AAC also mentored Yodicraft in the process of transforming from an undefined local grass roots organization to a social enterprise.

Rajana Association: In response to a request from a Co-Director of Rajana Association, the AAC Director helped Rajana to address difficult personnel issues such as dismissal of artisans shown to have engaged in immoral behavior even after said personnel were warned in writing

III. Marketing AAC Products through Trade Fairs

AAC participated in three major fairs during the first half of 2014. These were the Angkor Handicraft Fair held in Cambodia in January, the Ambiente Fair held in Frankfurt, Germany in February and the Angkor Handicraft Expo, which took place in April at Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, Cambodia.

IV. Membership Services

AAC conducted a brainstorming session with its selective members to view the current assistance provided by AAC and situation of all AAC members then brainstormed on what AAC should be doing to be of benefitting its members and AAC in a few coming years.

This year, AAC took over as the organizer of the International Women's Day event in Cambodia. Its success has guaranteed that AAC will be the organizer of the event next year as well.

V. Networking

AAC continues to develop cooperative relationships not only with member organizations, but with a wide array of public and private institutions whose concerns are relevant to aspects of AAC interests and involvements. This year collaborative activities were undertaken with: the Cambodian Ministries of Labor and Vocational Training and Ministry of Commerce; Home Net Cambodia; Home Net Southeast Asia; Cambodia International Trade Center; Urban Poor Women Development; the Association of Southeast Asian Nations; and the Asian Development Bank.

Attachments:

Report 1 (DOCX)

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