Partners and funders
The Africa Craft Trust’s past projects have included partnerships with and funding from:
W.K. Kellogg Foundation:
2001–2006: Matching funding for the USAID-funded Pan-African Artisan Enterprise Development Program (PAED)
2007–2009: Artisan Enterprise Development Program South Africa
2008–2009: Developing Entrepreneurship for the Arts and Craft Industry in Lesotho by Building Local Capacity in Product Design, Innovation, and Market Linkages
2011–2012: Organisational Independence Grant
Ford Foundation:
Funding from the Ford Foundation’s Southern Africa office enabled the establishment and registration of the Aid to Artisans South Africa Trust in 2005. In due course ATASA changed its name to the Africa Craft Trust, a completely independent organisation.
The large organisational grants from the Ford and Kellogg Foundations enabled the Trust to develop sound financial and reporting procedures.
2011–2013: Mobile Technology for Craft Enterprise Development Programme
2008 - 2012: The Ford Foundation funded The New Basket Workshop’s pioneering projects in Zimbabwe in the years 2008 through 2012.
MTN Foundation:
2012: Community Crafts Capacity Building Programme Mukhuduthamaga
Ponholo De Beers:
2012: Rearabetswe Craft and Product Development Programme
National Lotteries Commission of South Africa:
The Trust received two grants from the NLC
2012–2013: Access Markets for Profit
2016–2018: Three market access training-related projects: The Business of Craft Travelling Workshops incorporating business and visual literacy components; Market Access Training Programme for SA Crafters; and Ndebele Design Project.
Isimangaliso Wetland Authority:
2012–2013: Craft Development Programme with basket weaving clusters around the Wetlands partnering with the iSimangaliso Wetland Authority and The New Basket Workshop
UNESCO Mozambique:
2010: Craft Sector Learning Mission
Nandos:
2010: Ndebele Football World Cup Exhibition
National Institute of Design:
2011 - 2014: The New Basket Workshop, which incorporated its resources and history into the Africa Craft Trust, partnered with India’s Ahmedabad-based National Institute of Design to implement a Government of India-funded women focused basket-makers development programme in Zimbabwe, Ghana and Ethiopia.
Business Arts South Africa:
Over the years the Africa Craft Trust has benefitted from BASA, a valuable association which linked it to Norton Rose Fulbright South Africa Inc.
GIZ Ethiopia:
2019 - 2021: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, Ethiopia; Special Initiative Jobs.
The Gorongosa Project:
2021: Assets Assessment focusing on craft skills and income generating potential for women of the Gorongosa Community
Eastern Cape Provincial Arts and Cultural Council:
2021: Nonkqubela Weaving Development and Business Overhaul.
Partnerships and close relationships forged with the Lupane Women’s Development Trust, Binga Craft Centre, the Zienzele Foundation, Imbali Visual Literacy Project, and Aid to Artisans/Creative Learning over many years have led to fruitful collaborations and ongoing support for our mutual objectives.
