Artisans Associations of Cambodia

Dear old friends and new friends of the Artisans Association of Cambodia,

Old friends know of the tremendous difference the Artisans Association of Cambodia (AAC) has made in the lives of Cambodian artisans who had come to the program from backgrounds of high disadvantage due to disability, widowhood and other factors creating poverty.  We hope that you will continue to support this effort and that new persons just becoming aware of this program will be moved to help us continue this effort. Created by the World Rehabilitation Fund some 15 years ago with members consisting of some 42 grass roots organizations, AAC supports some 2,700 artisans and staff, most of whom are from disadvantaged backgrounds.  Over ¾ of the workers supported by the project are women, and women direct over half of the member organizations of AAC.  

Member organizations of AAC have presences in 10 different provincial areas of Cambodia.  Members are striving to becoming social enterprises, having missions that involve both entrepreneurship and promoting social and economic benefit.  Another major focus of members is to promote the use of ecologically friendly methods in creating products.  

Employees of member organizations include large numbers of persons with disabilities (which was the main focus originally of the program), persons with HIV, and victims of human trafficking.  Many of the groups have a strong focus on meeting the needs of women from vulnerable backgrounds and many members also have a major focus on the betterment of youth from impoverished backgrounds.

In our first year, AAC's four members showed sales of $250,000.  This year sales are over $4 million, far higher than the $3 million predicted for this year.

Through support from donors like yourselves, AAC will continue to provide training and technical assistance to further the design, production and marketing of member products.

Significant events of the previous period include the conduct of training in the following areas:

• AAC was named by Corporate Vision for their Southeast Asian
  Business Award for 2017
• AAC members participated in the Ministry of Commerce “Buy Khmer Product Campaign” in 4 different locales of the country
• Three new Directors were elected to the AAC Board to serve three year terms starting in 2017
• AAC members attended some 7 local trade fairs during this quarter
• Connections were made with online social enterprises to promote AAC products
• Aquarius Hotel of Phnom Penh has agreed to sell products of 5 AAC members in their hotel store

Technical assistance provided by AAC staff and consultants included:

• AAC co-hosted a national workshop on “Export Promotion to Europe”
• Several AAC members were provided technical assistance by AAC in the area of rebranding
• Other technical assistance areas included: assistance in designing a catalogue of products; improving in-store retail design and practice; improving visual merchandising

Please check out the World Rehabilitation Fund website and examine the AAC catalog (link below) to learn more about the project and see the extraordinary handicrafts created by AAC artisans. 

Thank you once more for your continued support!  We look forward to sharing more about AAC's activities in the coming quarter. Until then, please know that we are most grateful for your generous support.

Warmest regards,

The WRF Team

Links:

• AAC 2016 Catalog