Senegal's traditional craftsmanship helps revitalize rural  population
 
 
April 2008 -
In one of the poorest regions of Senegal a locally driven artisan initiative, 
 known as Maam Samba, provides work for over 350 employees.The home base is 
the  tiny village of N’dem, about 120 kilometers north east of Dakar. Maam 
Samba  first began in 1985 with a single sewing machine and a single couple's  
commitment to better the living conditions for inhabitants of 15 surrounding  
villages.

 
traditional patchwork from N'dem
 
 
 
"The project began as a response to the rural exodus", explains Maam Samba's  
manager Abdourahmane Dieye. The artisan center symbolizes a revitalization 
and  re-appreciation of traditional arts and craftsmanship in this region and in 
all  of Senegal, and specifically in the pursuit of local development  
initiatives. 
Maam Samba's workshops include 16 quaint blue and white huts scattered  
against an inhospitable backdrop of dust and scorching hot skies. Each hut is  
dedicated to a particular craft: their trademark patchwork designs, bogolan or  
'mud' dyeing, basket weaving, and metallurgy to name a few. 
A Senegalese marabout, or spiritual leader, and his French wife created the  
project. Having lived abroad for 10 years, the couple returned intent to 
improve  the socio-economic situation for hundreds of families. Over the years the  
re-invigoration of traditional arts and crafts became a way to instill 
community  and improve quality of life. "My job allows me to earn a salary and make 
a  living for myself and my family", explains 38-year old Babacar Ngom, a 
tailor  who is married with three kids and has been working at Maam Samba for over 
five  years. 
Though Maam Samba is considered 'a project constantly in progress'- there are 
 continually new financial and organizational challenges to overcome- the  
initiative has merited noteworthy achievements. Maam Samba's profits, most of  
which is earned through sales in France, Belgium, and Italy, are used to  
subsidize the cost of local facilities. Today there is a health clinic, a  
preschool, a primary school, a potable water tank, and a micro-credit lender.  Maam 
Samba's crafts are not only about revitalizing a tradition, but also about  
building for the future.


 
 
_Amanda  Fortier_ (http://www.powerofculture.nl/en/taxonomy/term/440) 







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