You are currently viewing Final Seminar of the project to strengthen rural and artisans women ” Takwin wa Tamkin” (Training and empowering)

Final Seminar of the project to strengthen rural and artisans women ” Takwin wa Tamkin” (Training and empowering)

As part of the PAP ENPARD program, the Takwin wa Tamkin project carried out by the two partners “Women in Communication” and “Citizens of the Earth” with the support of the network of women artisans “Res’Art”. A final seminar crowning the activities carried out was organized on February 26, 2020.

The seminar took place at the National Institute of Agronomic Research of Algeria (INRAA) El Harrach, in Algiers, in the presence of:

project beneficiaries,
program stakeholders,
representatives of the European Union delegation,
the Technical Agency for assistance and implementation of the PAP ENPARD program,
the director of INRAA
and the guests of the various associative actors and other members of institutions.

We also received our partners:

The network of Moroccan women artisans (REFAM),
Tunisian rural  women
and French “Citizens of the Earth”, who benefited  and participated from the implementation of the project

We invited all the beneficiary organizations and the artisans, who alone made up more than 80% of the assembly, which is a real achievement, by considering their geographical origins and the obstacles usually linked to the movement of rural women.  We held an exhibition on site for their products, including those they created as part of the project.

The seminar took place at the INRAA conference room, where we presented with the beneficiaries all what we learned during the “Takwin wa Tamkin” project, and the human exchange, we managed to create thanks to the artisans and their true capacity for networking.

The course of the morning focused on three points: the promotion of training,  particular by giving the floor to the trainers, by video for those who could not be with us and face-to-face for others. More than nine trainings were provided, and more than 400 beneficiaries were able to have one to seven trainings depending on their level, their capacity for mobility or their personal involvement.

Then we had the intervention of our partners on the three “Eductours” which were carried out with the beneficiaries during the second year of the project: one in Morocco, one in Tunisia and one in France. The beneficiary craftswomen also gave their testimonies on the various exchanges carried out. Seventeen artisans benefited from these international exchanges as well as ten Algerian, Tunisian and Moroccan organizations. These exchanges allowed everyone to see and understand the realities and development strategies of craftsmanship in each territory. The women artisans have seen that even if the realities differ from one country to another, they have the same difficulties, but their work brings so many values, hope and resources to their territory. Craftsmanship is both a real economic sector if it has the possibility of being developed with seriousness and institutional support, it is part of the heritage of humanity and of each region that must be tried to preserve for the better. diversity of cultures, and finally it is an undeniable technical tool, which allows the production of authentic and durable products of value.

Here are some testimonials during the seminar:

The PAP Empard is not only an issue of agriculture but the coordination of all sectors including crafts, which FEC has very well represented.

Souad Assous coordinator of the program.

Here is a little preview of the speech for collective intelligence from the perspective of our Citizen of the Earth partners:

Axel Frick: “In a few words, the meaning of the Takwin wa Tamkin project for Citizens of the Earth is: the strengthening of rural women and craftswomen is a key factor of human development, social, economic, cultural, ecological and territorial in Algeria. But we must not abandon the men for all that (humor) … they need to evolve with the women so they can move forward together! Our role as co-applicant must be presented with a certain humility because the majority of the actions on the ground were carried out in Algeria by “Women in Communication”:

 

Our role was mainly to:
1- Provide experiences, support tools (pedagogy, methodology) around solidarity entrepreneurship (crafts, agriculture linked to tourism) and territorial intelligence. Through field missions in Algeria, an Eductour – field training in France to meet players in the social and solidarity economy.

2- To synergize the Algerian experiences with partners in the Maghreb and in France in a dynamic of Mediterranean cooperation. Our collective journey has been strewn with obstacles to overcome, but the presence of all the participants in this final seminar shows that these obstacles have generally been overcome.

Axel Frick will conclude by saying: “I want here to highlight the perseverance and commitment of Women in Communication as well as all rural women and artisans who develop their activities by overcoming great challenges”.

He ended by thanking the partners of the PAP ENPARD program, the delegation of the European Union in Algeria, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry who place their trust in actors from the associative world and the social and solidarity economy, at the Agronomic Research Institute which hosted us for this final seminar.

Fawzia Talout Meknassi president of the network of women artisans of Morocco for her: Dar Maalma inspire a respected and educated woman that why girls from good families were sent to be trained. The girls identified themselves with the name of Dar Maalma. Res’Art the network of Algerian craftswomen have the same constraints, the same needs as Dar Maalma Marrakech, the exchange of the two networks on the Carpet. The structure of Fatima El Mernissi in Taznakhet (feminism and Islam) was essential for the preservation and the know-how of women as well as their economic contribution in society. the visit of the Ait Ben Haddou women’s café was very beneficial and generated a lot of income for the women. 

To the Women In Communication organization, the realization of this project is the culmination of 17 years of cooperation with the network of women artisans Res’Art, has been able to link women from different rural or urban areas, from any background to work and collaborate together on the craft heritage, it is just important to value this contribution, to help the craftswomen to produce between tradition and modernity and to leave an imprint of their time as their predecessors.

The exhibition of various products: carpets, pottery, basketwork and local products, allowed them to meet and exchange knowledge and know-how. The different regions affected by the PAP ENPARD program were able to meet during this seminar and this final exhibition, in the projects of the regions of Skikda, Bedjaia, Tizi Ouzou, Tipaza, Timimoun, Ain Timouchent, Tlemcen, Laghouat and Algiers. The rich exchanges that have taken place throughout these 2 years of projects have made up a beautiful mosaic at the end of the project carried out with the help of the PAP-ENPARD program, as well as the flow of exchanges and reflection around the territorial intelligence and networking so important in a country as vast and heterogeneous as Algeria .

  • You will find on the Res’Art website information on the various major events that we carried out in the project and presented during the final seminar
  • In order to leave a trace and visibility of the work accomplished, we have developed a guide allowing you to find and get to know the main artisans who are members of Res’Art and have been trained and supported as part of the “Takwin wa tamkin” project. During the final seminar, we made a presentation of the guide, it will be distributed in print and online from June 2020 on our website:

the artisan’s guide

  • During the seminar we also offered Res’Art earthenware glasses to take coffee or tea to those present, at the request of the craftswomen, because they wanted to add environmental value to the artisanal product. It is not only about valuing the work of artisans but at the same time achieving one of the sustainable development objectives of consuming responsibly by protecting the environment and ecosystems from plastic waste. The glasses were made by the organization of women potters of Bidèr.
  • We ended the seminar with all the craftswomen around a festive evening to meet and discuss friendly. This event allowed them to enjoy an evening in Algiers in a warm space around a meal and songs they shared. A moment of relaxation and well-being, without constraint, so rare in the daily life of rural Algerian artisans women.
  • The recommendations are numerous, the most essential is working in partnership with institutions, and valuing the work of rural women and structuring them into a network.

-Preparation of the final seminar with the rural women of Laghaout Oued Mzi
-Presentation of the workshops
-Presentation of the guide
-Intervention of the director of INRAA
-Final Photo

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