Workers’ houses along the river

For the last few months, I have been planning a new project that will take place to help a Filipino community of craftworkers in and around Manila. I have had meetings in Manila with staff (including the Dean) from the Faculty of Design & Art at the College of Saint-Benilde which is part of the De La Salle University. They have an very worthwhile part of their curriculum called ‘Outreach’ which works with very, very poor communities of the city and surrounding regions and construct projects between the college and the local community.

My plan is to work with their Outreach program and staff through the traditional hand-embroidery textiles products. I am very excited about this opportunity which is a project I will personally coordinate. Initially, I intend to form some sort of online network which may include an e-commerce area within OCN that can offer their beautiful and highly crafted goods to a much wider global market. This way, any sales we make can be (100%) given back to the community through the existing Outreach program at CSB. If this is successful, it seems an ideal way to market more widely other products such as the lace work produced by the craftspeople Caroline visited in Sri Lanka. I will be working on this venture in the early part of 2007 and welcome any help and/or ideas from OCN members to help this cause.

I have started a new thread in the OCN Message Board area for members to join discussions on how we can forward this agenda or any advice or questions you may be able to provide me for my next meeting with them in February. I really look forward to an ongoing dialogue with many of you.